What Are The Chances?
by LeoV44
Summary: Annabeth remembers the day that changed her life. She especially remembers that mysterious green-eyed boy who came out of nowhere to save her life only to leave just as quickly. What happens when 4 years later, he walks into her English class? Percabeth.
1. My backstory

What Are The Chances?

**Summary**: Annabeth Chase has always lived a normal life, that is, until that day in sixth grade that changed her life. She remember exactly what happened. From the cafeteria exploding, to the beast trying to kill her, but mostly, she remembers that guy with dark hair and green eyes who came out of nowhere and saved her, only to leave just as quickly. Now, she's in tenth grade and none of her questions have been answered and she thinks they never will be. That is, until she see's a certain dark haired, green-eyed boy walk into her English class. Not your average Percy and Annabeth go to school story. Involves camp and other dangers. Percabeth obviously.

**A/N: Important! Please read this first! Includes my plans for this story and when I am planning on updating.**

**Okay, first things first. Where am I going with this? Well, you might think that it's just another one of those percabeth stories only in school but it's not. Some of it is in school but most of it has to do with Annabeth finding out who she is and what they are going to do when she finds out.**

**Characters I am going to put in this story: Annabeth, Percy, Grover, Bianca, Nico, Thalia, Chiron, some other people from camp half-blood (ex. The Stolls), and maybe some of my own characters but they will only be minor characters.**

**How long will this story be? Well, I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking at least 20 chapters and 40,000 words at the very least.**

**Am I going to give up on this story ever? Nope, never. I have never quit on anything before unless it was impossible and this is not something I can claim as that. So no. Never. You can personal come to my house and beat me up if I do.**

**Update frequency: I know this is something that you all need to know. I am planning on updating twice per week throughout the course of this story. Once, if I'm having a bad week or if I have a lot of homework.**

**So, with all that important stuff out of the way, let's move on. Here's the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: My back-story<p>

It all started that one day when I was in sixth grade. _Of course,_ back then, I had no clue what was going on. One second I'm having a normal day at school, the next second the whole school is being evacuated after what I like to call, _the incident._

I guess I should start from the beginning. Hi, my name is Annabeth Chase. I'm currently a sophomore at Goode High school in Manhattan and I have straight As. I like to rub it in my friends' faces whenever I get the chance that I'm smarter than them. I don't know why, I just have the urge to show _everyone_ that I know these things, even if they are just random facts. I have curly blonde hair that I usually wear in a loose ponytail and stormy-gray eyes. My friends say that's what's most unique about me.

I'm not gonna argue though. Being unique is a good thing in my book, even if 98% of the people here think otherwise. The other 2% being my friends.

Speaking of my friends, let me tell you about some of them. My best friend is Grover. He's really...how can I put this..._interesting._ Yeah that works. He has a lot of facial hair and acne and looks like he should be a senior or a freshman in college instead of a sophomore in Goode.

Don't get me wrong, he's not really tall or anything, in fact, he's my height and I'm average height. He just has this _older_ look, no not look, this older _aura_ surrounding him telling people that he's older even if he doesn't look like it. Anyway, back to what's so interesting about him:

He's always walking funny. I mean not like he does it on purpose_,_ it's more like he's just not used to walking, as if it's his first time walking, but it's every day, not just one day. He's also got a note that excuses him from PE for the rest of his life. I know, _weird._ But I'm not complaining, I don't want him to get hurt trying to run, let alone walk.

Then there are my other friends, Bianca and Nico. They're brother and sister. Bianca being the elder by a year. Actually, Bianca is older than all of us. She's a junior, while Grover, Nico, and I are sophomores. She's really protective of her brother but at the same time, she isn't like some other siblings who think of their brothers and sisters as just annoying brats. She truly loves him which is a quality that I like about her.

Nico on the other hand is really independent. With his dark hair and dark clothes, he looks emo_._ Of course, just like every other emo, he hates being called emo and denies it. _Pfft, yeah right._ But other than that, he's really a nice guy and cares about his friends and his sister more than anything.

The only down side to their life is that they never met their father before - _like me and my mom_ - and their mom hates them and doesn't care about them. My dad used to be like that, but after I ran away in third grade once and my dad found me again, he became a lot more caring.

Anyway, back to what happened in sixth grade that changed my life. I only knew Grover back then and I was new there so I only talked to him. It all started during lunch...

*Flashback*

_I was making my way over to the cafeteria since it was time for lunch._

_It was my second month at this middle school and Grover was my only friend. He opened up to me right from the day we met and we've been friends since. I don't know much about him though. Whenever I asked him about his family, or where he was from, or even his last name, he would try to change the subject or make an excuse to leave. Probably just a touchy subject._

_Anyway, I made it to the cafeteria and saw Grover at an empty table waiting for me. He saw me and waved at me. I smiled as I approached him._

_"Hey Grover." I said casually._

_"Hey Annabeth, how's it going?" He said_

_I looked down at his plate and saw that he got enchiladas again._

_"Really Grover_,_ again? If you keep eating what the cafeteria here serves you, your going to get sick. That's why I always get lunch from home." I chuckled_

_He looked at my lunch - a simple turkey sandwich - and cringed in disgust._

_Did I mention that he was a vegetarian?_

_"No way Annabeth, enchiladas are the best thing ever invented by mort- people." He finished looking a little nervous as if he almost said something he shouldn't have._

_There it was again. That wasn't the first time he did that and gave me that look. I had a feeling that he was keeping something from me and it was big. Something told me that it had to do with me, but I wasn't sure._

_I decided to forget about it and just enjoy myself. I was having a good day. I had good grades despite my dyslexia, and I was able to concentrate in class despite my ADHD, and I have a great friend to hang out with. I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not proud of myself for these things._

_Grover and I continued our conversation for a little while. Talking about random things._

_That's when it happened._

_I don't know how I knew something bad was going to happen but it felt abnormal. Usually, I predicted stuff from pure knowledge. Like predicting when the next pop quiz is going to be in math by means of inductive reasoning._

_But this was different. As if knowledge had nothing to do with it, which for me, is a scary thought. It felt more like...what's the word..._

Instinct._ Yeah that's it. I don't know how or why but I know it is._

_I'm not sure if Grover felt it too but he did have a weird look on his face, as if he had been afraid something like this would happen. I'm not sure what _this_ is yet but I had a feeling I was gonna find out soon._

_Suddenly the side of the cafeteria next to the windows looking outside exploded._

_Kids screamed. Some even fell off their chairs onto their butts. I didn't have any reaction other than shock. Grover's reaction was more dread than shock. I wondered why. Had he known this was going to happen? Why didn't he tell anyone?_

_My gaze swiftly drifted over the the massive hole in the wall of the cafeteria when I saw something moving._

_There, right in front of my eyes, about 15 feet away, was the weirdest and smelliest thing I had ever seen. It was a cross between a bull and a man. It was ten feet tall with horns on it's head and a snout for a nose. I was in awe._

_I knew what it was. I couldn't believe it but I knew what it was. It was from Greek Mythology. What did they call it? Minicar? No, it was the Minotaur. Half-man, half-bull._

_I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. Heck, I don't even think I can breathe right now. Grover got up and tried pulling me away but it was no use. I was in shock at the sight before me._

_Grover stumbled and fell onto the ground._

_That got the beast's attention. But not at Grover, he saw me first and fixed his eyes on me. Wow, lucky me. Just when I was talking about how everything was going good today._

_Ironic isn't it?_

_Grover tried getting up only to stumble and fall again. I think it was because he was shaking too much._

_The Minotaur didn't pay him any attention, as if his soul purpose was to track me down and kill me._

_Lucky me._

_The Minotaur charged. Somebody made a high-pitched scream. I think it was Grover. I just sat there, in shock, not knowing what to do._

_Suddenly, my view of the Minotaur was taken away, thankfully, when someone tackled me and we stumbled to the ground a few feet away from where I was. At first, I thought it was Grover but then I looked up and saw black hair. Grover didn't have black hair. Who was this kid?_

_The Minotaur suddenly passed by us, crashing into a few tables until finally, he smashed into a wall head-on, although I had a feeling it hurt him less than it would have hurt an average human. The guy who just saved my life got up and helped me up. I looked around. The cafeteria was empty except for Grover, the mystery boy, the dazed Minotaur, and me. I got a better look at the mystery guy. He had jet-black hair that was messy in a natural way and green eyes that reminded me of the sea. He was probably around my age._

_He was kind of cute. Unfortunately, he caught me looking and raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. I looked away blushing a little and tried to act scared about what just happened. I don't know why, but I felt safe when this guy saved me and was now protecting me from the now fully awake Minotaur._

_"Stay back." The guy said. He had the voice of a caring and gentle person but had the potential to become fierce and harsh when put in danger._

_I nodded and got behind him. I steeled a glance at Grover and saw that he looked a little relieved that this guy was here. I would have to ask him a lot of questions after all of this was over._

_The Minotaur charged. The guy who saved me (I'm really getting tired of saying that. I wish I knew his name already) charged as well. For a second, I thought he was trying to sacrifice himself to save me but then he did something that I never expected._

_He reached into his pocket and brought out a pen. He uncapped it and there, right before my eyes, it grew into a three-foot long sword. The guy just kept going as if this was completely normal. At the last second, he sidestepped so the Minotaur would pass him._

_For a second I thought he changed his mind about sacrificing himself for me and he was just gonna let the Minotaur kill me._

Thanks a lot, kid._ I thought. But then he took his sword and jabbed it into the monster's side. The monster cried out in pain and exploded into dust._

_The guy, again, acted like this was completely normal and looked around to make sure nothing else happened. He ran over to me and held me by the shoulders._

_"Are you okay?" He asked in that gentle concerned voice of his._

_I could only nod. He nodded back and then he quickly ran over to Grover. They exchanged a few words and Grover looked happy to see him. The guy then ran off to where the Minotaur made a hole to the outside. Before he left, he gave a smile and wave to Grover and then he looked at me._

_For a second, he just looked at me, and then he winked, smirking a little, and then left through the hole._

_At that moment, I knew that wouldn't be the last time I would see him._

*End Flashback*

That was _four years_ ago. Now I'm in tenth grade and I still have nightmares about that day. I ask Grover about them but like always, he just changes the subject nervously. I would get irritated sometimes but I could tell he was just trying to protect me as he would always say.

As for the school, they claimed that a mysterious driver in a dodge truck was driving the car when he crashed into the school and when he realized what he had done, he got the car out of the cafeteria and drove away before anyone could blame him.

I thought that it was the stupidest piece of crap I had ever heard. I know what I saw and even if I don't really understand it, I knew it was true and I know Grover knows it too but he's trying to convince me otherwise for some reason.

I was thinking about all of this in English class. I was sitting in the front, not really paying attention since I already knew everything that, Mr. Smith, my teacher was talking about. Grover wasn't in this class so I didn't really have anyone to talk to. I wondered about that boy who saved me. Who was he? Why had he been there? How did he get that pen/sword? How did he know Grover? How did he beat the Minotaur? So many questions, and no one could answer them. It's very frustrating for me since I hate not knowing things.

Suddenly, Mr. Smith said he had an announcement.

"Okay class, today we are going to have a new student join us. Please be nice and show him around if you have any classes with him. Young man, please, come in!" Mr. Smith said.

A boy about an inch taller than me with jet-black hair walked in wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He looked familiar. I don't know from where but I knew I had seen him before.

"Hello, please introduce yourself to the class." Mr. Smith said to him.

He nodded, and turned to face the class. At that moment I knew who he was. Right when I saw his sea-green eyes, everything came back to me.

_He's that guy who saved me that day in sixth grade._ I thought.

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. What are the chances? I knew then that at least some of my questions would be answered soon.

"Hi, I'm Percy Jackson." He said in that same gentle voice only it was a little deeper this time. It really was him.

He hadn't noticed me yet but he sat down two rows to the left of me and two seats back, still oblivious to me.

I smirked inwardly. I couldn't wait to see his face once he realized I was here and that I remembered him. _Oh yeah, this is going to be an interesting day._ I thought.

* * *

><p><strong>AN (Don't worry, I won't put too many of these. Only for the first chapter.): How was it? Good? Bad? I know I did _something _wrong so don't be afraid to tell me!**

**Also, if you don't have anything good to read, go check out my profile, I made a list of my top ten Percy Jackson fanfictions. I've looked at almost all of the good ones out there and these are my favorite. Definitely check them out.**

**Oh, and of course, please review! I need feedback and motivation to keep this story going! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Reactions and decisions

Chapter 2: Reactions and decisions

The rest of the class went by painfully slowly. I kept stealing glances at who I now know as Percy. He still looked just like I remembered, taller, older looking and *cough cough*_more handsome._ *cough cough*

He still hadn't noticed me but I was going to confront him after class. But of course, just like every other time I'm eager to do something, it feels like it takes too long to come. So what was really an hour long class felt like it lasted days.

Finally_,_ the bell rang, signaling that class was over. I quickly got my things in my backpack in record time, earning some weird looks from my fellow classmates, and dashed after Percy. He was already out the door and going down the hall.

I ran after him and finally caught up to him. I put my hand on his shoulder to get his attention rather than calling his name since I barely knew him. He instantly tensed up and turned around faster than I could have imagined. His eyes were determined looking and fierce but when he saw that it was me, it became soft, then confused, then curious.

"Uh, hi..." He began awkwardly. So he didn't remember me. Huh, well I'd just have to jog his memory.

"Remember me?" I asked, getting straight to the point. I focused my eyes on him since my friends always said that my eyes were the main thing that gave away who I was.

At first, he was confused, trying to think of something to say. Then he focused on my eyes and a sudden feeling of dread came across his face.

"No...?" He tried to lie. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are ya sure, 'cause I definitely remember you." I said glaring at him. I wasn't trying to be mean but the best way to get people to tell you the truth is by force.

"Remember? It was when I was in middle school. You were the one who killed that monster that was trying to kill me. Who _are_ you? And what _was_ that? It looked like that thing from Greek Mythology. What was it? The Min-" I was cut off by his hand covering my mouth.

"Don't say it's name. Names have power." He said, taking his hand from my mouth. I looked at him like he was crazy.

He looked around quickly, as if looking for anything he could do to get out of this situation, then turned his gaze to me.

"How could this happen. Why didn't I see this coming? Why didn't he tell me?" He asked, more to himself than to me.

"What are you doing here? Why do you keep showing up?" I asked, getting a bit irritated.

He sighed. "Uh...I'm here to go to school. That second question is kind of personal." He said matter-of-factly yet still nervously.

I glared at him some more. Even though I thought about everything I was going to say to him during English, nothing was coming to me. There were too many questions. _Plus those sea-green eyes were just too darn distracting._

"What class do you have next?" I asked. He seamed to relax a bit since I changed the subject but hopefully he knows that's not the last time I'm going to ask him. Annabeth Chase does not give up.

"Math, so I better get going." He said, looking in a hurry to get away from me.

"Hey! I have math too so don't think you can escape from me _that_ easily." I said. His distressed look came back and he didn't know what to say.

I sighed. "Look, I don't know what happened that day you saved me _but I want answers._ Just because I'm nice,-" _And you're cute._ I added in my head. "-I'm not going to pick on you with anymore questions right now, but don't expect me to just forget it and never ask you again." I said.

He physically relaxed and nodded. I let my guard down but made sure to keep the seriousness in my eyes so he knew that I wasn't kidding.

We walked together to our class. "So what's your name?" He asked.

"Annabeth, Annabeth Chase." I said. He gave me a weird look and I raised an eyebrow in response.

"I'm Percy. Percy Jackson." He said in his best James Bond impersonation, which wasn't anything like James Bond, which only made it even funnier.

I stifled a laugh and he grinned at me. "So I've been told." I said

We got to the door just in time. Grover was in this class so I couldn't wait to see his reaction. Grover saw Percy go in first and the two exchanged a quick glance, nodding their heads simultaneous which only added to more questions in my head.

Then Grover saw me walk in right behind him and freaked out a little. He had this nervous expression on his face as he glanced from Percy, to me, to back to Percy. He looked at Percy pleadingly, as if asking, _'tell me you didn't tell her',_ but Percy just shook his head, leaving me utterly confused.

Did I mention _I hate it_ when I don't know things?

Grover relaxed a little and the three of us sat in the back. Grover in the middle, and Percy and me on each side. Percy and Grover whispered to each other, talking quickly, and not pausing for even a second. It sounded like a different language but that couldn't be right. Grover doesn't know any other language besides English, did he?

They stopped talking and Grover straightened up, ready for class to start, but I wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"He's that guy from sixth grade, isn't he?" I asked, fully expecting him to lie, but I was prepared.

"W-What are you talking about A-Annabeth? I d-don't know what you m-mean." He finished, stuttering. I rolled my eyes at his horrible excuse for a lie. He could never lie, it's just not him.

"You know exactly what I mean Grover. Percy told me himself." I said, loud enough for both of them to hear. Grover glared at Percy for a second but Percy just shrugged, not knowing what to say.

I smiled, he seamed like the honest type like Grover. Unfortunately Grover hastily turned around to answer my question and caught me smiling at Percy. He gave me a confused look, raising his eyebrows.

I blushed and turned away for a second to compose myself and look like I was actually being serious. I turned back.

"Well?" I asked.

Grover sighed. "Look Annabeth, this is not something to talk about during class. Percy has almost all of the same classes as us plus lunch so no need to get hasty. We'll get to it eventually. It isn't exactly something to talk about casually. For now, I'll just tell you that I've know Percy for a while. We've been friends for a _long time,_ longer than you and me, and he's just here to go to school. No worries." He explained.

"But-" I stopped myself because Grover was glaring at me and Percy was looking at me pleadingly. I sighed.

"_Alright._" I replied

The two visibly relaxed as class started and the teacher started talking about special triangles. _Pfft, like I don't know everything about it already._ I thought.

So I let my mind wonder. I thought about everything that happened today. I thought about that frightening day in sixth grade. I thought about when the two would ever tell me what was going on.

But mostly, although I hate to admit it, I thought about _Percy,_ and what him being here meant for me and the future.

* * *

><p>After math class, we all went our separate ways to our other classes. Two periods later, it was time for lunch and I was sitting with Bianca, waiting for Percy, Grover, and Nico.<p>

"So I hear from Nico that Grover knows this Percy guy from before he came here." Bianca said, trying to start up a conversation.

"_Yeah._" I sighed

She noticed my odd behavior and asked what was wrong.

"It's noting. It's a really long story." I said. She knew better than to pry, especially when it was me so she let it go.

"Have you met him yet?" She asked.

"One too many times."

"Oh?" She asked, with a curious expression.

I sighed. "Let's just leave this alone for now okay?"

"You don't like him do you?" She asked. I was surprised by her question but I answered anyway.

"Kind of. There's something he isn't telling me and it's killing me to know. Plus, I have this feeling that I'm not supposed to like him. I don't know why, but it just feels like it." I said.

I knew she wouldn't understand. She's always the optimistic type. Going around making friends with everyone she meets. Heck, you could hate her guts yet she would still love you. I asked her why she did that once and she said: 'Like your friends, but love your enemies. It pisses them off.' I had to laugh at that, even if I knew she was just joking.

"I don't know what you mean Annabeth but I think if he can befriend Nico and Grover, then he's not all that bad." She said.

"I know Bianca, but I have a feeling I know his personality and it's really easy to hate. For me at least." I said, trying to defend myself even though I didn't even know why.

"Oh, come on Annabeth, you're kidding me." She said, rolling her eyes.

I ignored her and waited for the others to get here. Soon enough, the three walked in and sat down next to us.

"Hey Annabeth." Percy said with a smile.

I just ignored him because I just didn't want to deal with him right now. Plus, that side of me that said I'm supposed to hate him was getting stronger.

He noticed that I was ignoring him and gave me a curious look but looked away eventually and introduced himself to Bianca.

"Percy."

"Bianca." She said smiling.

"So I see you and my brother have become friends." She said.

Percy grinned. "Yeah, we have a lot in common, except for being _emo._" He said. I held back a laugh and tried to stay angry at him.

"_Hey!_" Nico said defensively.

We all laughed at that which only got him to defend himself more.

"Oh, come on Nico, you know it's true." Bianca said teasingly.

"Whatever."

"So Percy, where do you live?" She asked.

"A couple of blocks from the school in an apartment with my mom."

"What about your dad?"

Percy cringed, as if he were afraid that she would ask that.

"I…uh…never met him. He left before I was born. Lost at sea as my mom would say." He said but I knew he was lying which only got me angrier at him.

"Oh." Bianca said, looking a little sad since she could relate.

"Where did you live before you came here?" Nico asked this time.

Again, he cringed, but this time Grover did too.

"Uh…_you know_…here and there." He said lamely. However, Grover backed him up.

"He lived without his mom for a while at this…_camp._" He said.

I had a feeling he was telling part of the truth but not all of it. However, I was the only one to notice and Bianca and Nico continued as if they couldn't tell. They kept asking questions to get similar results.

I was fed up with it and left lunch early. I had a lot of thinking to do.

I went outside to get some fresh air. The school let us go outside during lunch or a free period as long as we stayed on school property.

I sat down on a bench and looked around. The sky was clear except for a few clouds and the sun was at its highest point of the day. I just sat there for a little while, thinking about today.

I decided that I had enough of this and that I was going to confront Percy during his free period today and I was gonna make sure he answered all of my questions.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So how was it? I know it's a little shorter than the last chapter but don't worry, I'll try to make the next chapter extra long but don't expect it until at least the weekend.**

**In case anybody is wondering, I have the whole plot worked out. I know exactly what's going to happen and how. I just need to write it in story format and edit it. I only have an outline for the later chapters so far but I'm working hard on them!**

**Now, I gave you something, you give me something. What do I want? Hmm, maybe a little bit of a review with some constructive criticism on the side. No pickles and extra cheese. Mmm, sounds delicious already.**

**Review!**


	3. Answers and a new friend

**A/N: Aww, I didn't get as many reviews this time. =( Oh well, hopefully this time I'll get more.**

**Alright, so this chapter is where Annabeth gets some answers from Percy and…um…**_**bonds**_** with him. *hint, hint* *wink, wink* Ah, don't get too excited, they're not gonna start kissing or something like that. That would ruin all the juicy stuff that's coming up!**

**Shoutout to ****Lendrix**** for his/her review. It made my day. =)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>After lunch, I went to the library since our history class was meeting there today. Percy was in my history class so I told him to follow me there.<p>

We went in and the teacher explained that we would be doing a research project with one other person from our class. He said we could do any topic we liked as long as it had to do with something we did in class that year. He told us all the topics in case we forgot any.

I decided to work with Percy since he was new and probably didn't know anybody else to work with. Neither did I really. My friends weren't in this class.

"So, I was thinking we could do World War II. What do you think?" I asked as we sat down at a table in the corner of the library next to a large window, overlooking the school grounds.

"Um…well…I was thinking more of Greek Mythology. That was one of the topics right? He asked. I narrowed my eyes.

I knew he wanted to do that for more than one reason. I could tell it was one topic that he knew and I had a feeling he didn't know much about the other stuff. But I was also reminded of the attack in sixth grade. That monster was from Greek Mythology. Was there a connection here?

Again with the confusion. I wonder how people deal with this. It's so…_confusing._

"Any reason you want to do that topic?" I asked, even though we both knew that I knew the answer.

"I think you know why." He said grinning a little.

I sighed. "_Look,_ I have _so_ many questions that I need to ask and I _really_ want some answers." I said, this time more pleading than forceful. "It's just really bothering me and I _need_ to know what happened that day. I don't know why, but it's like I'll _explode_ if I don't find out." I said.

He gave me a weak yet knowing smile. As if he knew exactly why I felt like that. "I'll give you answers at some point. It's just, when you get them, it won't be easy to get your mind around." He said.

I sighed again. "Alright, but could you meet me during your free period? It's your last period right?" I asked. He nodded. "Okay, me too. So I'll meet you outside your class and we can go somewhere to talk." I said, trying to sound monotone but probably sounded a little desperate which is so not like me.

Percy looked like he was having an internal battle. As if he couldn't decide if he wanted to do this or not.

"_Please?_" I asked, leaning a bit closer. He blushed. I smirked.

"Alright, fine." He said, defeated. I smiled.

"See you then."

* * *

><p>After history, I went to my fifth period class with Bianca and Nico. It was our elective class and we all had engineering. The class focused on architecture and I loved it. It was my favorite class and one of the few that actually taught me stuff. I had to pressure Bianca and Nico into it though since I wanted some of my friends in the class. Of course they were ready to run for the hills when I mentioned it to them but I persuaded Bianca into it by telling her that it would be the only class we would have together. Nico agreed when she did since it would be the only class he would have with his sister.<p>

"Where'd you run off to during lunch, Annabeth?" Nico asked.

"I went outside. Needed some time to think." I said.

"Ah, to sort out your feelings, okay." Bianca said, smiling. I didn't know what she meant by that but that smile was making me uneasy.

"Um, _yeah…_" I said, not knowing what else to say. She just nodded and kept walking to our class.

We got there in time and I sat down in the front on the left side, Bianca on my side and Nico behind me.

"You were right about Percy, Annabeth." Bianca said. I almost fell out of my chair because I wasn't expecting her to talk and the room was pretty quiet for 20 kids.

"What about?" I asked.

"You know, about him being a little secretive and stuff. It's not just him, Grover too. He's been acting all nervous and he's trying to stay close to me and avoid me at the same time. As if he doesn't know whether to protect me or stay away from me. Same with Nico over here." Bianca said, nodding over to Nico.

"Yeah." Said Nico. "He's not hanging out with me as much. Like during class, he always sits next to me but now he sits like four seats away. As if he doesn't want me talking to him but he doesn't want to leave either. _It's weird. _I think he's bipolar or something." Nico said.

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Nico to come up with such crazy ideas. Grover was _not_ bipolar.

"_Shut up, Nico._" Bianca said in her loving yet annoyed sisterly voice.

"Whatever Percy is keeping from us, Grover knows about and they both don't want any of us to find out." I concluded. The siblings nodded in understanding.

"I have a feeling whatever they're hiding, it's for a good reason though. It's not like Grover to keep things secret from us unless it would hurt us. The same goes for Percy." Bianca said.

"You're right but don't worry, I'm meeting Percy outside during his free period so we can talk. I'll get _something_ out of him." I said.

"You're talking with him today? Bianca asked, eyebrows scrunched.

"Yes." I said slowly, not getting what was so hard to grasp. "So?"

"Outside?"

"Yeah."

"Alone?"

"Well, yeah."

"Just the two of you?"

"Um…"

"Where no one can see you two?" She asked raising her eyebrows up and down as if to suggest something.

"Bianca!"

The two siblings chuckled.

"I have a feeling they're going to do more than just talk." Nico half said, half snickered.

"_Shut the hell up Nico._" Bianca and Nico were cracking up now, half because of the scenario I was in, half because of my face that was so red that a tomato would be jealous.

"Oh shit, she's pissed. Bianca, _protect me!_" Nico said in mock horror. Bianca laughed some more before stopping and putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"We're just kidding, Annabeth. Relax." She said.

I didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. I caught Bianca and Nico looking at me, sharing a knowing glance, then snickering a little.

Leave it to them to add stuff to my confusion.

* * *

><p>After engineering, we had the last period of the day. Percy and I both had a free period so this was the best time to talk to him.<p>

I left engineering, bidding farewell to Bianca and Nico, and headed over to where Percy's classroom was. The teachers didn't care if you showed up for your free period. It's not like you're learning anything in there so I didn't even bother going to my class first. I saw Percy standing a few feet away from his classroom, probably looking for me. I started walking toward him and he saw me.

He smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." I said back. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Outside. I know a good place to talk." I said, blushing a little because I was reminded of that little conversation with Bianca and Nico. Thankfully, Percy didn't notice.

"Okay." He said and followed me to the back of the school to the outside.

I opened the door and was hit with a nice warm breeze, making me smile. It was the beginning of May which meant spring was in full swing. The trees were getting it's leaves back, flowers were blooming, and the grass was looking richer every day. The sun was out too, with a few clouds to keep it company. The weather was perfect, not too cold and not too hot. It could have been a scene straight out of a fairytale.

I spotted the huge tree in the center of it all. It was huge. At least 40 to 50 feet tall. That's about as tall as a five story building.

This is where I came everyday for my free period. I would take a nice book, sit against the tree, and read while enjoying the feeling of being out here, granted I was dyslexic, but trying to read out here seemed to be easier to do than in a small classroom with lots of distractions.

I did the same today, except I had Percy instead of a book to keep me company. I sat against the tree and closed my eyes for a minute. When I opened them, I saw Percy standing in front of me, not knowing what to do.

Huh, I kind of forgot he was there. Oops.

"Um...you can sit here." I said, motioning to the area next to me, also against the tree. He smiled and sat down.

I was completely aware of him being a few inches from me. His right arm was against my left one and our feet kept touching from time to time. It would send jolts of electricity through my body.

"So..." He began awkwardly. I wanted to ask so many questions but I was enjoying his awkwardness so I kept quite, trying to fight off a smile and raised a brow. I had a feeling he didn't have too much experience with girls. Of course, I'm not one to talk. Neither have I really. I mean...with boys...not girls. I have experience with girls. Wait...no, that sounds wrong...that's not what I meant! Oh, forget it.

"Um..." He continued.

"So..._yeah._" He finished.

Silence.

Complete silence.

I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it. It was just too funny. When he was being awkward, his face just looked so silly and cute that it was hilarious. If I didn't know him for more than a day now, I would have said he did that on purpose just to make me laugh.

He looked embarrassed but eventually he smiled at my outburst. I tried to control my laughter and soon enough it went down to a quite snickering.

"_Shut up._" He said, fake pouting.

I managed a small laugh. "But your awkwardness is just _too_ funny!" I tried to reason.

"_Whatever._"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?" He asked.

I sighed. There was a lot to talk about, but I decided to go one at a time. I decided to start with an easy one.

"When did you and Grover become friends?"

Percy smiled, probably glad that I didn't start with my bigger questions.

"I met him when I was seven. Um...see, we go to this camp every summer and I started going when I turned seven. Grover lived there so I met him there and we became fast friends. Soon enough, I lived there for some time too. Until I was ten years old. Then I went back to my mom. Of course, I still had school, it's just that I was home-schooled, or rather, camp-schooled." He said, smiling. I nodded.

"Why did you move here?" I asked, trying to slowly work my way up to the bigger questions.

"Like I told you, to go to school. See, I have ADHD and dyslexia, like you, so it's hard for me to stay in one school for long but I've been getting better at it. I was actually doing good in the other school but my mom wanted me to go here since my step-dad teaches here and he could help me do even better since he knows the curriculum. His name is Paul and he teaches the seniors. He helps me with homework and stuff at home even though I don't have him as a teacher." He said.

Wow, he had ADHD and dyslexia like Bianca, Nico, and me. I didn't know that. I was shocked. What shocked me more was how he knew I had those conditions.

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"Know what?"

"That I had ADHD and dyslexia, I haven't told anyone except for my friends."

He hesitated. "Grover told me."

I nodded, but I had a feeling I was getting close to the answers I wanted since he hesitated and tensed up.

I waited for a minute before asking my next question.

"_What happened_ that day?" I asked, both to him and myself.

He sighed, as if he was waiting for that question all along. "I can't tell you everything but just understand that I'm only keeping stuff from you because I'm trying to protect you." He said, and I believed him. There was a look of sincerity plastered on his face and his eyes only held the truth.

I nodded, showing him that I understood and believed him.

He nodded back with a smile, then sighed.

"What all do you remember?" He asked. And so I told him. I told him about the cafeteria exploding, about Grover's emotions during that incident, about the monster, me thinking that it was there to kill me, about him showing up to save me, about his pen turning into a sword, about him killing the monster, about the monster turning into dust, and about how I've been thinking about all these things ever since.

He sighed again. "You remember an _awful lot._" He said, as though it was a bad thing.

"Yeah." I said, not knowing what else to say.

He stayed quite for a few seconds and then straightened up.

"_Well,_ I don't really know what to say. I know you refuse to believe that it was fake so I'm just gonna say that you're right. It's not fake. It's completely real." He said. I kept quite though because I knew he wasn't done. "And your right. Everything you said was right, from the monster to the pen/sword. You were completely correct. But I can't tell you to remember that it was real and worry about it because that would be putting you in a lot of danger." He said.

"How?" I asked.

"Let's just say that you might get another visit from something like that again and I'd have to come in and save your ass again." He said teasingly yet still serious.

I playfully glared at him.

He continued. "So you shouldn't keep your mind on it but you shouldn't forget about it either."

"But you just said-" I was cut off by Percy holding up a finger, telling me to be patient. I grumbled something about hurrying up and let him continue.

"I know I said to not worry about it, but keep it in the back of your head. It'll be easier to understand everything when I tell you everything, if you remember that day. It'll help you get your mind across everything faster and when the time comes to leave, you'll be ready." He said.

To leave? What does he mean by 'to leave'? "What do you mean by 'to leave'? Where am I going?" I asked.

Percy smiled at me, showing me that I shouldn't worry about it. "Don't worry. You won't have to think about it until summer starts. For now, just enjoy life as it is now."

I didn't know what he meant by that. Was my life going to change when summer started? How? Why? When exactly? Ah! Too many questions not enough answers! It's making me sick.

Percy seemed to notice my inner thoughts and smiled. "Don't worry, Annabeth." He said, putting a hand over my shoulder making both of us blush. "Just...don't worry about it..._yet._" He said, not knowing what else to say.

I nodded.

"Oh, and have you told Bianca or Nico about what happened that day?" He asked, a little nervous.

I shook my head. "No."

He sighed in relief. "Good, and don't tell them about it until I say so okay?" He said.

I hesitated. Bianca and Nico were my best friends. I've never kept anything from them and I didn't want to start now. But _Percy_ was asking me to do this, and I couldn't really say no to him. He truly didn't want them knowing because he thought it would be dangerous, and I believed him. But still...

Percy noticed my hesitation. "Look, I know it's hard to understand with the few answers I've given you but understand that I'm doing this for a good reason. I can't tell you the reason yet because that would only cause more trouble, but understand that none of you will get hurt from me keeping it a secret."

I nodded. "Okay." I said while sighing. Percy smiled.

"Alright, is that everything that you wanted to know?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment and realized I did have one more question, but I didn't know if I wanted to ask it or not. It could come out the wrong way, and I could potentially lose a friend here. _But I have to know._ Said that little voice inside my head who always wanted answers.

"Yeah, just one more." I said. Percy nodded.

I sighed. How could I phrase this correctly? "Why do I feel like I'm supposed to hate you? Every time I see you, I get this feeling inside me that says that I shouldn't like you. Why?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't hate me for saying that. Instead he did something that surprised me even more.

He smiled and gave me a hug. I was startled but then I eased into the hug. Percy smelled like a refreshing sea breeze. As if he spent his entire life on the beach absorbing all the fresh air there.

He pulled back smiling and blushing a bit. I was blushing too. Now all the jealous tomatoes in the world were probably getting together to kill me for being that red.

"_Well-_" He began but stopped when he realized that his voice was an octave higher. I smirked, realizing that it was because he was uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I can tell you that I know exactly why you think that. It's because of where I'm from. Or rather _who_ I'm from." He said, then chuckled a bit as if he were laughing at an inside joke.

"But I don't even..." I trailed off, hoping he would get what I meant.

"I know it sounds silly but you're _supposed_ to feel that way, but you don't _have_ to. You can tell that tiny voice in your head to shut up and you can listen to your own reasoning. I know it sounds confusing that your supposed to hate me but it's not what you think. I'm not an ax-murder who just killed your family or something." He said.

I didn't say anything. I figured he would explain.

"It's another reason that you don't know yet but it's not that bad. When you do find out though, I'm sure you'll still want to be my friend just like I want to be your's." He said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Well, let me ask you something. What's your favorite thing to do?" He asked.

I didn't know what this had to do with my question but I answered anyway. "Design architecture. Draw buildings and monuments to last a thousand years. Something permanent." I said, my eyes shining at the thought of it.

Percy gave me a huge smile, as though he suspected me to like something like that.

"Well what if I told you that your family hated architecture and they didn't want you to design it? Would you still do it?" He asked.

"Of course, I don't care what anyone else thinks. If I like it, I like it." I said, without a moment of hesitation.

Percy gave me an even bigger smile, if that's even possible. "Then I _know_ we'll still be friends. You just have to trust me." He said, while standing up.

I looked him in the eyes. He looked back.

"Do you trust me?" He asked holding out his hand to help me up.

I thought about it. He saved me from dying when I was in sixth grade. He didn't hesitate to become my friend when he came here. He was loyal, I could tell by the way he was always by my side, and he trusted me. I could tell by the look in his eyes.

It was filled with trust and sincerity. I was sure of it.

I took his hand and got up, showing that I trusted him. "I trust you." I said, smiling.

He smiled back, still holding my hand. "Good."

We made our way back inside before the bell rang signaling the end of the day. That's when I realized that I really did trust him, and not just because he saved my life in sixth grade.

It was because he opened up to me and told me everything he could. That's why I trusted him. Because he was someone who was loyal and trustworthy. He was someone who was going to be permanent.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright how was it? I worked for hours on this chapter, trying to keep them in character. I know Percy seems a little smarter than usual but it was the only way I could give Annabeth the answers.**

**I really worked hard on this chapter and I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed. I've noticed that I've got a lot of favorites and alerts but not as many reviews so please review!**

**Oh, and by the way, don't expect another update for awhile. I'm still trying to decide whether the next chapter meets all my expectations and I have to edit it. Yeah, that's right, I have my own expectations...for myself. I know, I know, I'm weird, but it helps me stay on track and keep moving. Anyway, don't expect another update until Thursday or Friday. Well, unless you guys review a lot and demand it earlier. Then I might get it in quicker. *hint, hint* *wink, wink***

**Please review! Thanks for reading!**


	4. A shocking discovery

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. Had to finish editing chapter 5 along with this one. You'll see why at the bottom.**

**Not much of a productive chapter. More of a suspense builder. I can't have Annabeth just openly find out what's going on in one big chapter now can I? I need to put some foreshadowing in there to add to the suspense so that when we do get to that part, it'll be more believable and worth it. Hopefully.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: A shocking discovery<p>

It's been a week since Percy first came to Goode High and it was a Friday today. Right now, it was around mid-May and the temperature outside was always good. Not too hot or cold. Spring and summer were starting to look great.

Anyway, back to today. Like Percy said, the voice inside my head that kept telling me to hate him was starting to get smaller and smaller and was being quieted by the other voice in my head that said that Percy was a friend. So right now, school was pretty much normal. Percy and I always went outside during our free period and did random stuff. It was a care-free week so far.

Percy was getting along great with Bianca and Nico. To Nico, Percy was like the brother he never had. Always goofing off with each other, watching t.v. and playing video games together, and of course, pulling pranks on each other. They were getting along so great, I thought Bianca would get jealous.

Instead, Bianca was actually really happy for her little brother...and for herself. She didn't have to really look out for him during school as much since Percy and Nico had a lot of classes together.

Plus, Percy got along with Bianca pretty well too. They had similar personalities. Always caring and looking out for others. They were great friends. And only friends, nothing more, which I'm grateful for.

Today, Percy invited everyone to his apartment. He said his mom wanted to meet us all so I figured she was a nice woman if she was taking her time to do something like that. Percy told us to meet in front of the school by the entrance and we could walk to his apartment. We weren't planning a sleepover or anything, just a hang out, maybe watch a couple movies too since it was a Friday.

Right now, I was in engineering, making a prototype for the bridge we had to make. We had limited supplies and to get extra-credit, the bridge had to withstand a toy car going over it several times. It was easy enough for me. I've worked on harder projects of my own at home. It was a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for Bianca and Nico. Bianca wasn't too bad, but she was a little clumsy when it came to making the bridge. She was great when designing but not building.

Meanwhile, Nico was just an absolute disaster. He destroyed everything he touched. Literally. One time, Bianca and I were making a small replica of the bridge just to see if we could do it but when Nico touched it, and I mean literally just touched, it fell to pieces. I figured it was just a coincidence and that he just happened to touch a week spot in the support beams but I wasn't going to take any chances. I let him 'supervise' the building of the bridge and he seemed to do a pretty good job at doing nothing but stand there and watch. I should make him do that more often.

Soon enough, the bell rang and it was time for my free period. I cleaned up my things, packed up everything, waved goodbye to the siblings, and went off to the usual place outside to meet with Percy.

He sat at a bench near the huge tree, lazily tapping his foot at a slow beat. I sat against the tree and relaxed after the long day.

"So-" Percy began, but I cut him off.

"Don't even bother. You're just gonna end up being awkward again." I said, smiling a little.

"Oh, shut up."

A few moments went by before he talked. "So you're coming over right?"

I nodded.

Things remained silent for a little longer. Today just didn't seem like a good day to talk. More of a day to relax and absorb the world around you.

Percy seemed to realize that too so we just kept quite for most of the time. It wasn't awkward, it was actually comfortable. Hard not to be in a place like this.

We exchanged a few words from time to time but mostly we just relaxed. I started reading a book while Percy just stared blankly in front of him. I figured he was deep in thought. He was mostly unmoving, except for his tapping foot, and drumming fingers from time to time. Probably just his ADHD getting to him.

Before I knew it, it was the end of the day and Percy and I were on our way to meet the others at the front of the school.

By the time we got there, everyone was already there. Grover was talking to Nico about something and Bianca was just listening. I figured it wasn't a serious conversation since they didn't look too serious. Besides, Grover and Nico are never the serious type.

"Hey guys." I said casually. Percy nodded his 'hello'.

They stopped their conversation to look at us.

"And where have you two been?" Grover asked. Bianca let out a little giggle.

"Outside by the tree." I said, like it was obvious.

Grover raised a brow. Nico let out a chuckle.

"Do any _'talking?'_" Bianca asked, raising her eyebrows up and down.

I glared at her but stopped when I realized that I was blushing. Percy didn't seem to get it, thankfully.

"Yeah Perce, what took you so long? Didn't wanna stop?" Nico said, trying not to laugh.

Percy's eyes widened and he looked at everyone which I figured meant he finally figured it out.

"I-we-we never-what-with...no one." He stuttered. Bianca shook her head disbelievingly while Nico and Grover just laughed.

"Percy, shouldn't we get going?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"Uh, what? Oh, um...yeah, yeah let's go." He ended lamely.

We all walked together to Percy's apartment which was only about a mile away. Percy and I walked ahead while the others trailed behind, a few feet away.

"So what's your mom like? Is she nice?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, yeah. She's the best mom I could ask for. She isn't too pushy like other mom's. She won't go all 'go clean your room!' or 'no more video games!' on me but she is a little overprotective of me. It's quite painful sometimes." He said.

I laughed a little and he smiled at me. I turned around to make sure that the others were still behind us and saw them all looking from me, to Percy, to back to me with knowing looks on their faces and a small smirk playing on their lips, as if our friendship was just plain hilarious.

I turned back around, not knowing what to think of it and kept on walking.

Soon enough, we reached an apartment complex and Percy led us to the one labeled 3. It was about 11 stories high with an old paint job and rusty where the balconies were.

Percy led us inside and we climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on the first door on the right.

A woman, probably in her 40s, but looked like she was in the 30s, opened the door with a warm smile on her face.

"Percy!" She said, tackling him with a hug.

To my surprise, he didn't complain or try to push her off like a normal teenage boy. Instead he hugged her back with a smile on his face and then let go.

We all looked at him weirdly but he just gave us all a puzzled look, as if he didn't know why we were looking at him like that.

He shrugged it off and introduced us all. I stepped up to his mom when it was my turn.

"Hello, Mrs. Jackson. I'm Annabeth." I said.

Mrs. Jackson smiled at me. "Hello, Annabeth. And please, call me Sally. Mrs. Jackson makes me feel like I'm old." She said, smiling even more.

I smiled back, it was hard not to with this woman.

Percy whispered something into her ear. I caught him saying something about our parents but nothing else. I wondered why that mattered.

Mrs. Ja - Sally nodded in understanding at Percy and ushered us in.

We didn't do much, just talked, laughed, watched some movies on t.v., and played some games. Sally gave us some blue chocolate-chip cookies, much to our puzzlement and Percy's delight, but they were really good. Soon enough, it was getting late and it was time to go.

"It's getting late guys, I think we should head home now." Bianca said. I nodded in agreement.

"Are you all getting picked up?" Sally asked

"No, we don't live too far away from here. Like a mile and a half or so. Same with Annabeth so we can walk." Bianca said.

"No!" Percy, Sally, and Grover said at the same time.

We looked at them in confusion.

"Uh…I mean, my mom could drop you off, no need to walk." Percy said.

"Yes, you shouldn't walk alone at night without anyone." Sally said.

"No, it's okay. Besides, there are three of us instead of just one so no need to worry." Bianca said. Nico nodded in agreement.

"That just makes it all the more dangerous." Percy whispered to Grover. Grover nodded in agreement. I don't think I was supposed to hear that but it was hard not to when they were right next to me.

"No, it's fine. I insist. I wouldn't want you all getting into any trouble. Percy, you should come with us, incase…something happens." Sally said, uneasily.

Percy nodded and went to get ready.

Bianca and Nico looked at me, not knowing what that was about. I just shrugged. It's not like I'm complaining.

* * *

><p>We reached my house after dropping off Grover, Bianca, and Nico. Percy seemed uneasy the whole ride, as if the thought of all of us in a car was a bad idea. Percy and his mom got out of the car, followed by me.<p>

"Have fun today?" Percy wondered.

I smiled. "Yeah, thanks for inviting all of us." He smiled back and let his mom step forward.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Annabeth. Percy has told me a lot about you but it was nice to see you in person." Sally said.

Percy talked about me? I looked at him to find him blushing and looking at the ground. I smirked at him. He looked up to see me smirking and gave me a look.

"You too, um…Sally." I said, refoucusing my attention towards his mom. It was weird calling an elder by their first name out-loud.

Sally just smiled at me and gave me a bone-crushing hug.

_Now I know what Percy meant earlier when he said that his mom is painfully overprotective._

* * *

><p>It was Monday today and I was in school going to the library. School ended about five minutes ago and I was going there to check out some books.<p>

Our school library was pretty big. It had everything I needed and I often spent time there when I stayed after school. Today, I was just planning on getting some books and going home.

I entered th library to find only the librarian in there. No students were here accept for two in the middle of the library. Most came on Thursdays or Fridays when people had to stay after for extra-curriculars and had time before they began.

I noticed that the two students were actually Percy and Grover. They were facing away from me so they hadn't seen me yet. I walked over to them and was about to say 'hi' when I was a few feet away but then I heard them say something that made me stop in my tracks.

"What are we going to do with Annabeth, Bianca, and Nico? I mean, three at one school! That's super rare. Four if you don't count yourself. It'll be impossible to get all of them to camp." Grover said.

I quickly ran to the side, without making a sound, and hid behind a bookshelf. I took one of the books out so that I could still see and hear them. Okay, so I was eavesdropping. It was hard not to though. I was curious what Bianca, Nico, and I had to do with this. Plus, I was in a position where I could see both of them clearly and they wouldn't see me.

"Relax G-man, Long Island Sound isn't too far away from here. We'll get there in no time. With all of them. It's not like we're on the other side of the country. Besides, they haven't gotten any attacks somehow. They probably got a blessing from their parents that kept most of their scent away from monsters. They'll survive till summer. Let them enjoy their ignorance for a little longer." Percy said.

My mind was going at a million miles per hour. What were they talking about? What camp? Was it the same one Percy stayed at? What blessing? I don't remember dad doing anything like that. However, I let my thoughts slow down when I realized Grover started talking.

"Yeah, you're right. But still, they're sixteen years old! They should have been claimed years ago! Their blessing will wear off soon too. They don't last forever." Grover said.

"Really? I didn't know that." Percy said.

Grover chuckled. "Yeah, well we all know that you don't know a lot of things. Annabeth probably already knows everything about the Greeks. Bianca and Nico probably know a lot too. At least, more than you did when you first went to camp. Remember that Perce? You were so confused. It was so funny! Good thing you're the hero of Olympus now, or else I'm sure the campers would still be teasing you." Grover said, trying not to laugh, since it was after all a library.

A _billion_ thoughts went through my head. Why would I need to know everything about Greeks? I mean, not that I don't already, but why? And...hero of Olympus?..._What?_

"Yeah, well at least I got better at it." Percy grumbled.

"Are you kidding? I bet Annabeth _still_ knows more than you do now. Maybe not Bianca and Nico, but _definitely_ Annabeth." Grover said, grinning like an idiot at Percy.

"Oh, shut up, Grover." Percy said, rolling his eyes. Grover just shook his head.

I on the other hand, couldn't help but smile. I _did_ know a lot of things. Probably more than an average teenager would. I still had too many questions to enjoy the moment, though.

"Anyway, moving on, what do you think about that field trip at the end of the year. Should we let them go? Or should we talk them out of it?" Grover asked

I knew what they were talking about. There was an optional field trip that the school gave us at the end of the year. It was a week long trip to the Grand Canyon that lasted right up to the last day of school. We'd be taking a bus there and we'd get back on the night before the last day of school. Bianca, Nico, and I were planning on going. We had to pay like $100 but I think it would be worth it. It's not like we can go anytime. This might be our only chance. Bianca and Nico thought so too.

"Nah, I think it'll be fine. It's only a week long. We'll go with them if they're planning on going, just to keep them away from trouble. It'll be fine. Just relax." Percy said.

"Yeah, but this is the other side of the country we're talking about. What if something happens? How will we get to camp? If it was just one, then it wouldn't be too hard but this is _four_ if we include you." Grover said, worriedly.

"We'll be fine. I know it." Percy said, confidently.

Grover sighed. "Alright."

A few seconds passed until Grover stood up. "We should get going. The library is going to close soon. Come on."

"Alright, let's go."

I realized that they would have to go past my hiding spot to get to the exit so I quickly got out from behind the bookshelf and quietly ran over to the librarian's desk next to the exit. I couldn't just run to the exit since then I would have to pass through their line of sight so I got behind the desk. The librarian was putting away some of the books on the other end of the library so I don't have to worry about getting in trouble.

Percy and Grover walked by and passed the desk I was hiding behind. Right before they went out, they passed a water fountain and the weirdest thing happened.

The water from the water fountain sprayed out in a huge arch towards Percy. The water wasn't very forceful, it was only as much force as when it's normal. But the water went impossibly high. It went straight to Percy and he opened his mouth to drink some of it. He let the rest fall on his head.

Even weirder was that Percy didn't even press the button for the fountain. It just came to him as he walked by. It was so weird.

What was _even_ weirder was that Percy was completely dry. He didn't have a drop of water on his head. I was in shock. _What just happened?_

The two walked out of the library as if nothing happened. I just sat there, wondering if that actually happened. However, I noticed the librarian come my way so I got out from behind my hiding spot.

I quickly made my way over to the exit, my plans for checking some books out, totally forgotten.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: READ! VERY IMPORTANT!**

**Sorry for the caps guys, just needed your attention.**

**I've got an idea that will benefit both you and me. I'll have to sacrifice some of my time but I think it will be worth it. You'll also have to make sure you enable PMing in your account settings. Here it is:**

**From now on, I'm going to give everyone who reviews for a chapter, a sneak-peak to the chapter after it. And no, it's not going to be like two sentences or something cheap like that. It'll be like a third or a forth of the whole chapter, depending on the chapter. For example, this chapter was a little over 3,000 words, excluding this author's note. So if someone reviewed for chapter 3, then I would have given them a sneak-peak that would have been about 1,000 words long. So if you review for this chapter, you get a sneak-peak of chapter 5. I hope that didn't sound confusing.**

**Two exceptions to when I might not give any sneak-peaks:**

**1. I feel like a certain chapter is too important, like one that follows a cliff-hanger (it would have to be a _huge_ cliff-hanger though), then I might not give any sneak-peaks. I will tell you all in an author's note in the chapter before the cliff-hanger if this is to happen.**

**2. If you are a anonymous reviewer, then no sneak-peaks. Sorry guys, but there is no way I can give you a sneak-peak if you don't have an account.**

**Sound good? You can look in your email account for the sneak-peak or the inbox in your fanfiction account. I suggest the inbox in your fanfiction account since it's easier to read from there and it's more convenient but it's up to you. Oh, and don't expect to receive the sneak-peak right after you review. It'll take me some time to get it to everyone. No longer than a day though. I promise. :) **

**So, review! You _will_ get a sneak-peak if you review! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Getting closer to the truth

**A/N: I know this chapter is a little shorter than the others so I apologize in advance. I promise that the more interesting parts to this story will come soon. You'll just have to wait for a couple more chapters.**

**Also, please tell me if you reviewed and didn't get a sneak-peak. If so, then either I missed you're review or I didn't properly send you the sneak-peak (which I highly doubt since I double checked everything) or you are an anonymous reviewer (you don't have an account) which means I can't send it to you.**

**Oh, and expect the next chapter to be short too. However, the chapter after that should be the longest one yet so look forward to that!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Getting closer to the truth<p>

It was the beginning of June now. Two weeks since that day at the library.

I didn't know what to think then and I still don't.

I debated telling Percy that I saw what happened but I decided against it. I was afraid of the answer. I had a feeling everything would change if I said anything and nothing would go back to how it was.

I didn't want that.

Plus, what would I say? _Hey, Percy! Guess what? I saw what happened that day at the library when you somehow made the water fountain water come to you. Are you a monster or where you using 'the force'?_

Yeah, no. Not gonna happen.

I sighed. I hadn't figured out anything since that day.

I decided to forget about it for now and head over to the school library again.

It was early morning and I was in school. I still had around 45 minutes till school started so I decided to go there to research some Greek Mythology for that history project I was doing with Percy.

I walked into the library to find a few people there. They were sitting and doing homework.

I went over to one of the bookshelves to look for a good book on Greek Mythology. I found a really big one that looked like it had a lot of information in it. I took it out of the shelf and walked over to one of the desks to start researching.

I opened up the book to start reading. I looked at the table of contents to find that there were a lot of topics. Ranging from gods, to monsters.

After about 30 minutes of researching, I was done with the gods section and the monsters section and I was about to finish a couple of myths. After I finished that, I went to the section right after it, deciding to just keep reading. I know I have dyslexia but somehow, reading about Greek Mythology was easier than I thought. Even with my disability. I felt like the dyslexia was loosening up a bit when I read about this topic. I felt a connection to it, and dyslexia wasn't about to stop me.

I saw that this section was about the children of the gods. I kept reading and found out that the gods had a lot of affairs with mortals back in the day and had kids with them.

Something clicked in my head. I felt like I was close to the truth. I didn't know what I was looking for or what this 'truth' was but I had a feeling I could get some answers from here.

I kept reading, even more enthusiastic than ever.

I found out that the children of the gods and mortals were called-

"Demigods..." I whispered quietly. The word felt new on my tongue but it somehow felt right saying it.

Suddenly, all the weird things that happened to me came back to me. The monster attack in sixth grade. The water fountain incident two weeks ago, _everything_.

At that moment, I realized that my experiences were somehow connected with what I was reading.

* * *

><p>School went by in a blur. Soon enough, I found myself walking home, still thinking about what I learned this morning at the library.<p>

Why did I feel like everything would make sense if I had just one more piece of information? When I was reading about demigods, I felt like all the answers were right there but I couldn't get to it.

It was frustrating to say the least.

I didn't feel like going home just yet so I decided to go to the library in the city for more information on, well, whatever I was looking for.

When I got there, there were a lot of people there. Most were checking out books, some were taking the time to read some of them before they left, others just wandered aimlessly, looking for anything that would catch their attention.

I went to the history section of the library and looked for the section with the history of Greece and Greek Myths. I found a lot of books just waiting to be explored so I took some of those and started to explore.

I read about the heroes of the Greek Myths. Jason, Theseus, Hercules or Heracles in Greek, Achilles, Odysseus. I knew about most of them. Jason, the famous hero and the leader of the Argonauts. He was a mortal, but a hero nonetheless. Theseus, the son of the god of the oceans and seas, Poseidon and the one who defeated the Minotaur when he was adventuring through the Labyrinth. Hercules or Heracles, the son of the lord of the skies, Zeus, who is known for all those adventures he went on, including the 12 Labors that he successfully completed and got immortality as a reward. Achilles, the great hero who was invulnerable everywhere except for his heel, which led to his destruction in the end when he was shot there with an arrow. Odysseus, the hero from the epic, _the Odyssey_, a famous myth by Homer (no not Homer Simpson), the poet, and the one who defeated Polyphemus the Cyclopes.

I was so intrigued in the information that I didn't notice the time go by, but I didn't care. I just kept reading.

Then I came across another hero that I hadn't heard that much about. Perseus. The son of Zeus, slayer of Medusa, the one who saved Andromeda, and to my surprise, one of the only heroes to get a 'happy ending'. I didn't know that. I figured that most of the heroes got a happy ending after all that they had done but apparently only few did. I know Jason died when a loose plank or something on his ship came loose and hit him, killing him. Achilles died with the Achilles heel incident of course, and the others didn't have very good endings either. Hercules got it. And apparently Perseus too.

Perseus. Perse. Perce. Percy? Is Percy's real name Perseus? It would make sense if it was. I've never heard of a name like Percy so this would make sense. Why would he be named after a Greek hero? It's not something people tend to do. His mom didn't seem like she was off the rocker so I'm pretty sure she had a reason for naming him that. I would just have to ask him that later, although I had a feeling I would just get a lot of stuttering and changing the subject in response.

I sighed and looked up at the clock a few feet away from where I was sitting. 9:00 PM. Wow, I had been at the library for a few hours. I guess I was just too absorbed by all that reading to remember the time.

Suddenly my phone started ringing in my pocket. I cringed. I had forgotten to put it on silent when I went into the library.

After getting quite a few annoyed looks from the people that were still there and me mouthing 'sorry' in response, I picked up the phone. It was my dad.

"Hi, dad."

"Annabeth? Where are you? It's really late and you missed dinner. Are you alright?" My dad asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm at the library, doing some research. I was on my way out right now. I'll just get something to eat on the way home." I said.

"Oh, alright. I was getting worried there. I thought something happened..." He trailed off. The funny thing is that he didn't say it like someone kidnapped me or anything like that. He said it like I saw something that I wasn't supposed to see.

Ever since that incident in sixth grade, I was shaken up. I hadn't told my dad about it but he noticed my odd behavior after what happened. I had a feeling he knew something happened but was afraid that if he spoke up, he would only confirm his doubts.

"No, it's okay, I'm fine. I'll be there soon. Bye, dad." I said, hanging up.

I checked out the books I was reading, deciding to get more information out of them at home, and started my way over to the nearest fast food place to get some food.

I didn't normally eat fast food but it was too late to get something better to eat. Plus, I was starving and the fast food places got the food to you pretty quickly, hence the name 'fast food'.

After I got the food, I just ate it quickly, not bothering on waiting till I got home since I figured I would die of starvation before I got there. After that, I headed on out of the place and started walking home.

It was pretty dark outside but since it was June, even 9:00 wasn't completely dark. I walked down the street, looking around at my surroundings, and letting my mind wander.

I passed a dark alley but stopped halfway when I noticed something moving in there. A figure, was sitting there, just looking at the wall opposite of him. I was going to start walking again but then the figure turned it's head to my direction.

A chill went down my back and I felt like I couldn't stop moving but I couldn't move at all at the same time. Sort of like my ADHD was going on hyper drive but my body wouldn't allow it because it was too scared.

The figure stood up and another chill went down my back. The guy was probably around seven feet tall at least. He started to slowly move forward, walking at a leisurely rate, as if he knew I wouldn't even try to run. When he was about five feet away, the street lamp next to me cast it's light on his face for a second.

I almost passed out from what I saw. On his face, where his eyes should have been, was...an eye. Just one eye. Right in the middle. A little bigger than a human's eye, but not by much. It was still able to make my brain scream in my head though. On the outside, I was paralyzed. The light went away from his face as he kept walking forward, but I just kept looking at where his eye was.

Suddenly, a car started coming towards us. I realized that I was now on the road. I guess my feet automatically started moving backwards when the thing in front of me started coming towards me.

The car honked at us and swerved to avoid hitting me. The driver drove away.

That got me out of my trance. Lucky for me, the thing in front of me got distracted too. I realized that to get out of here, I would have to get past him and I couldn't just run. He would surely get to me if I did. So, I came up with an idea.

It was probably the bravest thing I had ever done. Simple, but brave.

I lifted my foot, and slammed it down on his foot as hard as I could. He only flinched. A normal person would have screamed but by now, I was pretty sure this was _not_ a normal person. It was enough to distract it from me though.

I bolted past him, books still in hand (oddly enough. You'd think I would've dropped them by now.), and ran out of sight, hoping the cover of darkness would cover me from being spotted.

* * *

><p>By the time I got home, it was around 9:30.<p>

I was at the front door knocking like crazy, like my life depended on it (which a few minutes ago, it had). My step-mom opened the door for me.

"Annabeth, are you okay?" She asked, noticing that I was out of breath.

"Yeah." I said while letting a huge breath out. "I'm fine."

I walked past her and into the living room, to just sit down for a while. I saw Bobby and Mathew, my twin step-brothers, playing with their toys on the ground.

What was that...that thing? Was it even human? The only non-human thing I saw about it was it's one eye. My mind went back to when I was at the library and reading Greek Myths. I remembered reading about all those monsters. One of them was described with having only one eye. They were called Cyclopes. Could that have been a...?"

My thoughts were interrupted when my dad walked in and saw that I was home. He noticed my weird state and came over to me.

"Annabeth, what happened? Why do you look like you ran all the way here?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing, it was...nothing. It's alright." I tried to reassure him. I don't think it worked though. I think he could tell something happened when he looked into my eyes.

He hesitated. "Annabeth, if something happened, you need to tell me. We can...do something about it." He said, choosing his words carefully, as if he were afraid he might tell me something he shouldn't.

I just stared in front of me, not really looking at anything.

He sighed. "Why don't you head on up. It's a school day and you look really tired. Go get some sleep."

"Okay." I said, and started heading up.

I saw my dad get up from the couch and head over to my step-mom. They exchanged a few words and it looked like they were trying to keep their voices down so I wouldn't hear them from upstairs.

As I reached the last step to the second floor, I only caught one word from their conversation: _Mom_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, I know. You're upset because there wasn't any Percabeth. I'm sorry. I just couldn't make Percy come into the scene and have Annabeth not ask any of those questions that are bothering her because, well, she's Annabeth. She HAS to ask questions and she HAS to get answers and if she got the answers, then there would be no point in the upcoming plot.**

**I hope I got all those facts from Greek Mythology right. I wasn't completely sure about some of them but I think I got them all right.  
><strong>

**On the bright side. Annabeth got into her first fight with a monster! It was pretty accurate with the book too. Except for the fact that she was seven in the book and she stabbed the cyclopes with a knife instead of stepping on his foot but it was close enough. I just really wanted to put that in there. =)  
><strong>

**One more thing. Does anyone know what the difference is between hits and visitors? I have no clue. Please tell me if you know.**

**Anyway, review and get a sneak-peak. Thanks for reading!  
><strong>


	6. Field trip

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys! But don't do it just to get a sneak-peak. I don't want people to do that because then I feel like I didn't deserve that review. At the very least, try to at least say something else besides 'give me sneak-peak!' because then I'll know that I deserve it.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Astronaut: "Houston, we have a problem."**

**Houston: "What is it captain?"**

**Astronaut: "There seems to be some kind of thing heading towards our spaceship."**

**Houston: "Can you tell what it is?"**

**Astronaut: "No...wait, it's getting closer. It seems to look like...words. It says: _I do not own PJO!"_**

**Houston: *Gasp* "Abort mission! Repeat! Abort mission! This is a nightmare!"**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Field Trip<p>

It was Friday, the end of the second to last week of school. Middle of June. A month since Percy first got here. The field trip to the Grand Canyon was going to start on Monday and go up until the next Monday. The last day of school would be on that Tuesday.

I was pretty excited about that. I convinced my dad to let me go and to give me the money for it so I was in the clear. I told Percy about it and he said that Grover and he were going too. I wasn't sure about Bianca and Nico though. They hadn't told me yet but I was going to see them before school started and ask them.

I walked into the school, early as usual, and made my way to the library. I had returned those Greek Mythology books yesterday (I finished all of them by the way), and needed something else to read.

After that experience last week while walking home, I'd been pretty shaken up. I didn't know what to think when I saw that thing and I wanted answers.

So, naturally, I kept reading more about Greek Mythology, pretty much memorizing all those books. I learned about everything and read most of the myths. I was pretty darn proud of myself for it but I still felt like I was missing one key piece of information.

I decided to just forget about that and relax till school started.

I went into the library and saw that it had more people than usual. Most were on the computers, probably doing last minute homework. I saw some looking at the news and some were even playing games. Others were at the tables reading or just talking with friends. There was the occasional lonely kid just sitting and doing nothing, waiting for school to start, and the occasional kid looking for his or her friends.

I sat down on one of the computers. I wanted to research some facts about the Grand Canyon so I would know everything about it when we went on the trip.

After a while, I saw Bianca, Nico, Grover, and Percy come into the library. They saw me and came my way.

"Hey, guys." I said.

"Hey, Annabeth." Bianca said, the others nodding their 'hellos'.

She leaned over to look at what I was doing on the computer and shook her head.

"Really, Annabeth? You're researching about the Grand Canyon? It's just a field trip you know. It's not like we're going to have to take a test on it or something." Bianca said.

I shrugged. "I'm just curious. What's wrong with that?"

"You are such a nerd sometimes, Annabeth." Nico said, the others laughing in agreement.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not emo." I shot back.

The others chuckled except Nico. "Yeah, she's right about that." Percy agreed.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Will you stop with the emo thing. I'm not emo and you know it!"

I just rolled my eyes again. "Whatever you say."

They all sat down next to me and we passed the time before school started.

"So, did you guys get the money for the field trip?" I asked.

"Yeah, we got it. I gave it to the secretary at the main office and she said we were all set." Bianca said.

I smiled. Now everyone would be going. This was going to be one heck of a field trip.

I looked over at Grover and Percy, expecting them to be excited too, but they seemed more uneasy than excited. Although by now, I was used to their unusual behavior.

* * *

><p>School passed by quickly and it was the weekend. I never thought I would say this but, I can't wait till school on Monday. The field trip is going to be so much fun.<p>

I spent the weekend just relaxing and packing up for the field trip. I didn't really have anything to do since it was almost the end of the school year and the teachers aren't evil enough to give homework to us when we're going on a field trip.

On Sunday morning, I decided to go to the park near our house. It was a small park in the middle of our neighborhood. It was a good place to go if you just wanted to go outside but didn't really want to do anything.

I wanted to go there to do just that. I was done packing and I didn't really feel like reading so I felt like going there.

I hopped on my bike and started to ride to the park. On the way, I saw some people jogging and nodded my 'hello's to them. Not many kids were out since it was Sunday morning and most were probably still sleeping. I saw a couple people shooting hoops at the basketball court and others riding their bikes like me except with no destination in mind.

I got to the park in about five minutes. The park was next to a huge field. It wasn't used for anything specific but it was a good place to play sports like football or soccer. At the park, there was a swing set and a slide to the side and a bench to sit on and watch the scenery.

I hopped off the bike, planning on going to the bench, until I saw someone at the swings.

He was just rocking back and forth a little, not really looking at anything, and kicking the sand from time to time. As I got closer, I realized that the person was Percy.

Huh, I guess he liked to come here too.

I started walking over to him and he eventually noticed me. He was surprised at first but then smiled.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I don't live far from here you know. I come here all the time. What are _you_ doing here?" I questioned.

He pointed to the area behind him. I looked back there to see his bike. "Just felt like going outside. You?"

"Same."

He nodded. I sat down on the swing next to him. We shared a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"You excited for the field trip?" I asked.

I looked over at him and noticed that he looked more nervous than excited but he covered it up with a smile. "Yeah, I've never been to the Grand Canyon. I don't really see what the big deal is though. It's just a bunch of rocks." He said shrugging.

I punched him in the shoulder. He flinched and rubbed his arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. "It's a bunch of rocks that are over a million years old! Just think, a million years ago, those rocks were still there! They contain so many artifacts about the world before humans ever existed! That's not just a bunch of rocks. It's a piece of history!" I said.

He rolled his eyes but was smiling. "Of course, you would know that, it's like nature's architecture to you." He said, giving me a small punch on the shoulder.

I never thought about it like that. Then again, I guess it could be described as a piece of architecture by nature. Nevertheless, I punched him in the shoulder again, this time harder.

He almost fell off of the swing but he regained his balance. I found it funny that he was so clumsy. It was cute in a way. And the fact that he was so slow to understand some things was just plain hilarious and went well with the clumsiness thing. It made me want to laugh at him and kiss him at the same time.

"Wow, you are so violent." He said.

This time, I pushed him. Hard. I couldn't help it. I just felt like doing it.

He couldn't find his balance this time and fell to the ground on his side. I busted up laughing. It was pretty funny. The fact that he was staring at me in shock with his mouth ajar just made it even funnier.

Then, without warning, he sat up and took the swing that I was on with his hand and flipped it, making me fall to the ground on my butt. It didn't help that the swing came down too and hit me in the back of my head.

Stupid gravity.

I looked over at Percy. He was silent for a second but then burst out laughing. I glared at him while standing up and rubbing the back of my head. He just continued laughing.

He slowed down after a while and regained his composure, wiping a few tears from his eyes from laughing so hard. He then noticed me glaring at him and gulped.

"Uh..."

I glared at him some more. "Oh, you are so dead." I said.

He quickly got up and started running for his life. I ran after him, trying to act like I was seriously going to kill him but on the inside, I was laughing.

After about 15 minutes of me chasing him, I finally caught up with him. I tackled him onto the ground and after about a minute of both of us struggling to out-do the other, I pinned him down. We were both panting hard but I found the strength to speak.

"Ha!" I said.

He seemed embarrassed and his face was completely red and I thought it was because I out-wrestled him but then I realized how close I was to him. His face was pratically a few inches away from mine.

"Uh..." I said.

"Um..." He said back.

I quickly got up, feeling awkward and blushing hard. Percy got up too, also flustered. We just stood there, avoiding each others gazes for a few awkward moments.

"You won't tell anyone that you pinned me down will you?" He said after a while.

I stifled a laugh. "Nah, I won't, but if you ever try to make a fool of me again, you are so dead." I said, my eyes containing a mischievous glint to show that I would get my revenge but my mouth betraying a smile.

He gulped. "Yes, ma'am." He said, sounding scared. I laughed at that. He gave me a small smile in return.

"Well, I'll see you on Monday then. Bye Percy." I said, getting on my bike.

He got on his own bike. "Alright, bye Annabeth." He said, giving me a wave and riding off. I smiled and started riding off to my own house.

* * *

><p>It was Monday, <em>finally<em>.

The day of the field trip. It was about ten minutes till school started and I was waiting outside. There would be about 100 kids going on the field trip and we were all told to wait outside for the chaperons and the buses to come. We were going to leave right when school started. I was one of the first people there and I was waiting for Percy, Grover, Bianca, and Nico.

Soon enough, they came over to my side and we talked till it was time to go. After about ten minutes after the bell, everyone was there and we were getting on the buses. Since it would take almost two and a half days to get to the Grand Canyon from Manhattan, we would be getting some comfortable buses with enough space and a bathroom in the back.

I got on and sat in the middle with Bianca. Percy and Grover in the seat next to ours and Nico in front of us.

The bus ride was really fun. We all talked and had a good time and at night, we stayed at a hotel. I didn't go on too many road trips with my parents so this was really fun for me.

We reached Arizona on the night of the second day and we stayed at a hotel near the Grand Canyon. Bianca and I would be sharing a room while Percy, Grover, and Nico shared another one.

I got ready for bed and sat down on my bed, not really feeling like sleeping yet. Bianca's bed was right next to mine and she was sitting in bed too, watching t.v. She stopped when she saw me and smiled.

"Excited for tomorrow? I can already see you spurting out random facts about the Grand Canyon while we're there." She said, teasingly.

I smiled while rolling my eyes. "Don't worry, I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

She laughed. "Okay."

I felt a chill go down my back and sighed. Bianca noticed this.

"What's wrong?"

I sighed again. "I don't know. I feel like something is going to happen tomorrow. I don't know what, but I feel like something important is going to happen." I said, not really knowing how else to say it.

To my surprise, Bianca nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah, me too. I keep feeling like tomorrow isn't going to be just another day. And not just because we're going to the Grand Canyon. I feel like something is going to happen too. I don't know what though." She said.

I nodded. So it wasn't just me. I sighed.

"Well, whatever happens, we'll get through it. Anyway, let's go to bed. Goodnight." I said, getting under the covers.

Bianca got under her covers and turned to one side. "Goodnight" She mumbled, already nodding off.

I shifted my weight and got comfortable. Eventually, I started falling asleep, still thinking about what would be waiting for us tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the short chapter again guys but don't worry, the next chapter will be the longest one yet! However, it will take me longer than usual to get it out so don't expect it till maybe next Wednesday or Thursday. Sorry.**

**Speaking of the next chapter, I have a lot planned and I don't really want to just give all of my reviewers the sneak-peak right away since I want to build up the suspense. So, in order to build up more suspense while still keeping my readers and reviewers happy, I will be giving all reviewers the sneak-peak but I will purposely not give it to you until at least a day after you have reviewed. No longer than two days though. So pretty much, expect to receive the sneak-peak a day later than you usually have been getting them. I am only doing this so I don't ruin the chapter for you. I mean, it's no fun if I update every single day now is it? It would feel like the plot is moving too fast even though it isn't. This is why I'm doing this. Don't worry, I won't do this every time. Only when something really major is going to happen *hint, hint* *wink, wink***

**Anyway, review and get a sneak-peak! A day late of course. Thanks for reading!**


	7. The battle

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. Will update within a week next time. Sorry.**

**Also, I know I said that this would be the longest chapter yet but I decided against it. I split it up into two because there's just too much going on to put it in just one chapter. Sorry guys.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Girl #1: "...and she was like: 'Oh no you didn't.' and I was like: 'Oh yes I did.'**

**Girl #2: "Oh my god."**

**Girl #1: "Oh my god I know!"**

**Girl #1: "Oh my god, did you hear about LeoV44?"**

**Girl #2: "No. Oh my god, what happened?"**

**Girl #1: "Oh my god, I heard that _LeoV44_ _doesn't own PJO!_"**

**Girl #2: "Oh my god!"**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: The battle<p>

When I woke up the next day, it was around 9:00. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

I got up and went over to Bianca's bed to wake her up.

I yawned. "Hey, Bianca, wake up. We have to be in the lobby by 9:30. It's already 9:00. Wake up." I said, pushing her lightly to get her attention.

She shifted in the bed and finally opened her eyes. They settled on me and she slowly got out of bed, yawning.

"What about breakfast?" She asked, obviously hungry.

They're serving it downstairs. We won't actually leave till around 10:00. We're only going there at 9:30 to eat breakfast. We'll end up leaving once everyone is done." I explained as she stretched, trying to get her body to wake up.

"Alright. Let's get ready."

In about 25 minutes, we were both ready and heading down to the lobby to get breakfast. My stomach growled. Bianca wasn't the only one who was hungry right now.

We went into the lobby to find that only about a forth of the kids had shown up, the others probably still getting ready and coming down. I saw that Percy, Grover, and Nico were already there and were eating cereal. I went over to where they kept all the food and got myself some cereal too. Bianca right behind me. We then went over to the boys and sat down with them.

"Good morning." I said.

I got a lot of 'hey's and grumpy 'good morning's in response. I guess they weren't really morning people. I didn't really mind mornings. I was used to waking up earlier than this. So were they but they must have stayed up longer than us.

I smiled at their responses, shaking my head.

"So what are we going to do at the Grand Canyon anyway? We're not just going to look at it for the whole day are we?" Nico said, bored as usual, as if the Grand Canyon was nothing to be excited about.

I rolled my eyes. "No, idiot. We're going to see the museum they have there too. There's also going to be a gift shop and a cafeteria for lunch." I said.

Nico sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I didn't want to just look at it for hours listening to you blabbering on and on about it." He said.

I kicked him from under the table and he jumped in response, rubbing the leg that I kicked him on. "Ow." He muttered. Percy and Grover snickered.

Soon enough, everyone was done eating breakfast and it was time to get on the buses so we could get to the canyon. We all had to get our stuff first though since we would be staying at a different hotel this night. After we got all of our stuff - which wasn't much, just a backpack with all of my clothing and a couple of books to read for me and pretty much the same for everyone else - we headed on over to the buses. This time though, Bianca ended up sitting with Nico, Grover on their other side, so I had to sit with Percy, not that I minded, not at all.

I sat in the window seat while Percy sat in the aisle seat. "So, I heard we would be going on this glass horseshoe shaped bridge that overlooked a huge part of the canyon. And I've noticed that you've been a bit nervous this whole trip. Are you afraid of heights?" I asked, teasingly, bumping my shoulder against his.

He gave a weak smile. "No, actually, I'm not afraid of heights. It's just...there's a lot that could go wrong. I can't really say anything else." He said, looking at me, but not really looking at me.

I nodded. This seemed like what he said on his first day at our school. When we talked outside and he said that it would be dangerous for me to know what's been happening recently in my life and that I should just leave it alone till summer. I was pretty sure we were getting close to a very dangerous subject.

"Can't you just tell me?" I said, fed up with all this mystery. "I mean, what are you trying to hide from all of us? I know Grover knows it too so it can't be that bad can it? Just tell me _something_." I said, exasperated.

I expected him to sigh and say something like 'it's not that easy' or something and change the subject. Instead, he looked over at me, his eyes holding secrets that he didn't want to hold. I saw a look of sympathy in his eyes but it wasn't like he felt sorry for me. It was more like he understood why I would be begging him for some answers and he really wanted to tell me but he couldn't.

He sighed. "I know you've been researching about the Greeks and reading the myths. I saw you almost every day at the school library reading some of those books. I know that you were looking for something to explain to you about what's been going on and right now, all I'm telling you is that you're looking in the right places. You'll learn about everything eventually. When that is, I don't know. I was thinking when summer started, but who knows what's going to happen during this field trip." He said, dread in his voice, as if he also had a feeling that something bad was going to happen soon.

* * *

><p>My first sight of the canon was from a mile away so I could only see the peaks of it, but even from a mile away, I could tell that it was going to be a beautiful sight. The bus parked at what looked like a decent sized building that had only one floor but made up for it in length and width. After everyone got off, we headed over to the building and went inside to find a museum filled with information and artifacts.<p>

I walked with Bianca, Nico, Grover, and Percy near the front of the group, looking around at all the stuff they had here.

The guide was absentmindedly telling us about what all of the things were and other random facts while we walked along.

Soon enough, we reached some double doors that most likely went outside, judging by the light coming through the small windows on them.

"Alright everyone, we have reached the skywalk area where you will get a clear sight of a part of the Grand Canyon from a birds eye view. The floors are made of glass but are designed to hold everyone so no need to worry. You may step on the glass but please do refrain from running. We are about 500 feet from the bottom of the Grand Canyon so please be on your best behavior." The guide said.

She then proceeded to open the door to let everyone out.

We all walked out and as soon as I stepped out, I looked at the view and let out a 'wow'. The canyon was beautiful. I could see everything. The land stretching high up, some even to our level, and some just barely off of the ground, which was too far to see. I looked at the horizon only to be met with more parts of the Grand Canyon. To put it simply: It looked like a sea of rocks. A sea of old eroded rocks, over a million years old. It may seem like nothing out of the ordinary but there was no other way to explain it. You needed first-hand experience with it before you could understand the beauty of all of it.

We all walked ahead onto the skywalk. Like the guide said, it was made of glass but there was a part to each side of the glass were you couldn't see through it, probably for those who were afraid to walk on the glass.

I cautiously walked ahead, also a little afraid. I stepped on the glass and slowly put all of my weight onto it. The glass looked down onto the canon floor, a distance that looked miles away. I slowly started walking again, gaining more and more confidence. The others followed my example.

Soon, we were all in the middle of the horseshoe shaped skywalk and looking out at the canon. It was an even more beautiful sight from here.

"Wow." I said, the others nodding their heads in agreement.

"It's so beautiful out here." Bianca said.

"Yeah, it's a true work of nature." Grover said, a smile on his face.

We all spent a few minutes just enjoying the scenery and talking.

Suddenly, I saw something moving from the corner of my eye.

There shouldn't be anything moving out there. I followed my eyesight to where I thought I saw it, which was right underneath us, but there was nothing there. I looked around and saw that no one else had noticed but me.

After another minute, Grover, Nico, and Bianca started walking along to the end of the skywalk. Percy was about to follow when he noticed my thoughtful look.

His brows furrowed. "Uh, Annabeth, I think we should head back now." He said.

"Didn't you see it?" I asked.

"See what?"

"I saw something moving right underneath us."

Instead of telling me that I was just seeing things, his eyes widened and he rushed over to where I was standing.

"Where? Where did you see it?" He asked, frantically. I pointed to the spot underneath us.

"It was only there for a second. I just barely saw it." I said, getting worried from his frightened look.

He sighed and turned back to me. "Let's just get out of here." He said.

As we started making our way back, the skywalk shuddered. I looked at Percy and saw that his eyes were wide and a look of dread was across his face.

That's when the thing appeared.

It had been underneath the skywalk and had climbed up here in a matter of seconds. I took a close look at the thing and my eyes widened, not believing what I was seeing.

There, right in front of my eyes, was one of the monsters from one of the books I had read about Greek Mythology. It had a humans face but the rest of it's body was that of a lions. It's eyes were looking at us hungrily.

It was a manticore. I remembered reading briefly about them in the library. I just couldn't believe it was real.

I saw something moving behind it. It was moving too fast for me to see it clearly but it still sent shivers down my spine.

"Well." He said. (I was assuming it was a he from it's impossibly deep and ancient voice.)

"Perseus Jackson. My, my. What an honor." He continued.

Percy clenched his fists. My mind was racing. I felt my ADHD kicking in, harder than ever.

"The Hero of Olympus himself. I shall enjoy destroying you." He said.

"Stay back. You're outnumbered. You can't win." Percy said, although his voice cracked half way through so even I knew he was lying.

The manticore smiled at us. "That me be so, Jackson. But I've been following you from the start. I know that you are the only one who has been trained."

The object that I noticed behind him stopped moving and I saw that it was a tail. But not just any tail. This tail was longer than an average lion's tail. It could easily wrap around someone multiple times.

By now, everyone had noticed the commotion that was going on and had turned around to notice us. Most people were running back to the museum but Grover, Bianca, and Nico stayed behind, looking at the sight before them in shock.

Percy reached into his pocket and brought out a ballpoint pen. I suddenly realized that it was the same one he had when I was in sixth grade and he had saved me. This was the pen that turned into that three-foot long sword.

Sure enough, Percy uncapped the pen and it grew to the same sword that I remembered seeing in sixth grade. It looked ancient and had that faint glow to it.

I shifted my gaze back to the manticore and saw that he was looking a little uneasy from seeing that sword.

"Grover! Get the others out of here! Hurry!" Percy yelled.

Grover nodded and dragged Bianca and Nico to the exits. They were still looking at us with shock, not knowing what to think. _Welcome to the club._ I thought.

"You can't win this fight. I defeated so many more deadly monsters than you. What makes you think I can't defeat you?" Percy asked. I could tell he wasn't used to gloating since he didn't do it really well.

The manticore hesitated after hearing this.

Percy took this as his chance to attack. He leaped forward and tried to jab his sword at the monster. I was blown away by how fast he acted but I was even more blown away at how much faster the manticore reacted. He dodged the attack easily. I barely saw him move. It was as if that was normal speed for him.

The manticore used it's tail to try and hit Percy. The good news: Percy jumped out of the way a millisecond before it would have made contact with him. The bad news: He stumbled a little and lost his concentration. The manticore used this opportunity to strike again.

Before I knew it, Percy was hanging off of the skywalk by his hands, 500 feet of air separating him from the ground.

"Percy!" I yelled.

Before I could go help him, the manticore tried to attack me.

Time slowed down. Before I even knew what I was doing, I jumped out of the way. I caught it's tail and pulled with all my might.

The manticore roared. I figured being pulled by the tail was pretty painful for him.

Suddenly a burning sensation came over my hands but I ignored it. I quickly went over to where Percy was dangling while the manticore was dazed.

I took his hands and pulled him up with all the energy that I had left. The burning sensation in my hands grew even more and I was now seeing black spots in my vision.

I finally pulled Percy back up and we collapsed on the skywalk, out of breath.

"Thanks." He said, giving me a small smile.

"No problem" I said, ready to pass out. My hands felt like they were on fire now.

Percy stood up and faced the manticore. He charged and started jabbing the sword at him. The manticore was able to dodge all of them but then Percy did something he didn't expect.

Percy swung the sword like a baseball bat, hitting the manticore with the flat of his blade. The manticore stumbled, losing it's balance. Percy used this chance to strike. Using all his strength, he raised the sword and brought it down towards the manticores chest. Right on contact, the manticore exploded into dust.

The pain in my arm was killing me now.

I looked down to see what it was and saw that my hand was turning into a shade of purple and it was spreading through my body slowly. It hadn't gotten past my arm yet but it was slowly growing.

Poison. It was poison. The tail of the manticore had poison on it. When I caught it with my hands, the poison had spread to it.

Percy walked over to me, looking ready to collapse. I still hadn't gotten off of the ground since I was still in pain.

The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was Percy picking me up and taking me away from the most exhilarating and terrifying moment of my life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again, sorry for the late update. Also sorry if this chapter seemed a little fast-paced. I had extreme writers block and I guess this just wasn't one of my better chapters. I'll work harder next time though.**

**On another note, I'm planning on writing more stories after this one is over. I have several ideas and I put them up as a poll on my profile. I would be extremely grateful to anyone who goes and votes. There are seven choices and you can pick up to four of them. When I post the last chapter of this story a while from now, I'll also put up the four stories that got the most votes and you guys can tell me in a review which two you think I should write. Yes, I'm planning on doubling up after this story but don't worry, I'll be able to manage. =)**

**Anyway, review and get a sneak-peak! It might be a little late again though. Wouldn't want to ruin such a nice cliffy! Hehe. Thanks for reading!**


	8. More questions

**A/N: Hey guys. Nothing much to say here. This chapter is a little over 2,000 words. Next chapter should be a lot longer. You'll see why at the end of this chapter. ;-)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: More questions<p>

When I woke up, I felt dizzy and weak. It was dark out and it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere. There was a road but there were no cars on it. Looking left and right, you could only see the the distant mountains surrounding us. Someone was feeding me something that tasted like buttered popcorn. The weird thing was that it looked like pudding. I must be losing my mind.

I looked over to my right and saw that it was Grover who was spoon-feeding me. He seemed stressed out and looked worried.

When he saw that I was awake, he sighed in relief.

"Oh, good. You're awake."

I nodded, getting up slowly.

I looked to my left and saw Bianca, Nico, and Percy, looking through something a few feet away. They soon saw that I had woken up and walked over to me.

"You okay, Annabeth?" Percy asked

I nodded again. "What happened?" I asked, totally clueless for once in my life. Bianca and Nico looked equally confused and worried.

Percy sighed. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, we have to get out of here. We're only about a mile away from the Grand Canyon right now and we have to get to Manhattan" He said.

Everyone except Grover looked at him in confusion.

Bianca was the first to respond. "Why? Can't we just go to a nearby hospital or something for a little while so Annabeth can rest? We can just find the teachers and chaperons later and then they can take us back."

Percy shook his head. "We can't go to them anymore. They'll think we were the ones who caused all that trouble on the skywalk and that would just bring more trouble. We can't go to a hospital either. They'll just send us back to the chaperons and we can't have that. We need to get there on our own. Besides, I don't think Annabeth will need any treatment, right Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"No, I'm fine. Although I'm still feeling a little dizzy so I'm not sure I can walk for long." I said.

Percy nodded. "That's fine. We'll think of something. Meanwhile, we need to figure out just how we're going to get to Manhattan. We don't have any money so taking a bus or train isn't an option. We'll just need to improvise for a little while." Percy said.

I had a million questions in my head but I decided to put it off till later. I could tell that Percy wasn't really in the mood for talking.

However, Bianca wasn't done yet. "But you are going to tell us what happened back there right? You seemed like it wasn't surprising to you. As if you'd done it before. And what's with that stuff you were giving Annabeth? And why do we have to get to Manhattan on our own? And-" Bianca was cut off by Percy.

"We'll get to all of it later. I promise."

Bianca nodded uneasily.

Nico talked for the first time. "What was with that sword thing you had? Do you still have it? Can I have one?" Nico asked, already forgetting about what had happened.

Bianca thumped him on the head.

"Hey!"

She glared at him fiercely.

Nico shrank back, muttering something about annoying sisters.

Percy gave a small smile but there was still concern and worry in his eyes. "Come on, Grover. Let's go get all of our backpacks. It's all we have for now."

The two walked off to pack up everything, leaving Bianca, Nico, and me alone.

Bianca sighed. "Do you remember everything that happened?" She asked.

"Yeah, I remember everything. I blacked out when everything was over. I had this searing pain in my hands-"

"Poison." Bianca interrupted, looking at me worriedly.

Nico faced me. "It was pretty scary. You arm was purple and it was spreading fast. When we got here, Percy and Grover got that stuff they were feeding you. When you started eating it, you started healing right away. It was so weird." Nico said.

Great, more questions to be answered. And I thought I had enough.

Percy and Grover came back with our backpacks and gave them to us.

"Well, we better start moving. There's got to be a hotel nearby since we're near the Grand Canyon so we can stay there." Percy said.

"But we don't have any money. I don't think the receptionist will be eager to let five teenagers stay at a hotel for free." I said, reasonably.

"We'll sleep in the lobby or something. I doubt they'll make us sleep out here." Percy said, shrugging.

It seemed logical so we all agreed.

"Grover, where's the nearest hotel?" Percy asked.

Instead of taking out a map or something, he just tilted his head up and sniffled the air.

"That way." He said, pointing to what I guessed was east, judging by the faint light of the sun that still lit up part of the horizon in the west.

Bianca, Nico, and I looked at him strangely. Sniffing for hotels wasn't exactly my idea of navigation but right now I was too tired and worn out to complain.

We started walking in the direction Grover had pointed at. I was still dizzy and I felt like I was going to fall any second. My tired state didn't help either.

Percy noticed this and came over to my side.

"Feeling worn out?" He asked.

"Yeah."

He put his hand on my shoulder and came closer to me, letting me lean on him. I instantly relaxed, letting him support part of my weight. I saw Bianca giving me a small smile and winking at me from the corner of my eye. I blushed but was grateful that Percy didn't notice.

Soon enough, just like Grover said, the faint light of a small town could be seen up ahead. We all kept on walking until we were there and started looking for a hotel. It wasn't too hard to find. It was one of the first things we saw. The hotel wasn't too big. Only four floors and a decent sized parking lot. It was no five-star hotel but it was good enough.

We all walked in and to the reception area. She didn't seem too happy about letting us stay in the lobby but I guess she figured we had nowhere else to stay. She reluctantly agreed.

We all sat on the couches in the lobby, waiting for everyone to leave before going to sleep.

I looked at the nearby clock and saw that it was 9:30 pm. Everyone would be filing out of the lobby to their rooms soon enough. After about half an hour, we all decided to go to sleep. I had to go to the bathroom though so I left the others in the lobby and made my way there.

When I got back, everyone was already settled on the couches, half asleep. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. There were no other couches and I sure as heck wasn't sleeping on the floor, even if it was carpet.

I walked over to where Bianca was and shook her gently but she was already asleep. I guess the day had taken a huge toll on her. I didn't bother trying to wake her up since she was a really heavy sleeper.

Great, now what was I supposed to do?

From the corner of my eye, I saw Percy moving, trying to get in a comfortable position. He wasn't asleep yet.

I sighed. I had to do this. No matter how uncomfortable this would be. It's not like I had a choice anyway.

I walked up to him and he saw me.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." I said, looking at my shoes and shifting my weight from side to side.

"Um, there aren't any other couches." I said, blushing slightly and brushing my hair behind my ear like I always did when I was nervous.

Percy looked confused for a second but then realization dawned on him.

"Oh...um, y-you can s-sleep here?" It came out more as a question rather than a statement.

"Uh, t-thanks." I said, blushing hard now. He still looked flustered.

I gave him a microscope smile while he slid in deeper into the couch so that I would have room to lay down.

I got on next to him, completely aware of how close he was to me. I was practically on top of him. I felt completely embarrassed, but I was comfortable. Surprisingly, Percy made a good pillow.

He was still stiff, probably from me being so close to him but he eventually relaxed, letting sleep overtake him.

Soon enough, I was falling asleep too, the events of this day forgotten for the time being while I enjoyed the feeling of Percy so close to me.

* * *

><p>I woke up the next day with Percy still underneath me. I noticed that I was in a different position from when I fell asleep. My head was on his chest and his arms were snaked around my body.<p>

A whole new shade of red came over my face as I got my head off of his chest and looked up at him. To my surprise, he was fully awake and was staring at me with his sea-green eyes. They had been looking at the top of my head a second ago.

I raised a brow. "What?" I asked.

His eyes widened and he blushed. "Uh...nothing." He said, quickly releasing his grip around me and getting up.

I got up too, thankful that the others were still asleep and hadn't noticed what we had done.

"Never speak of this to anyone." I said, threateningly but still blushing.

Percy nodded. "Agreed."

After everyone had woken up, Percy said that it was probably a good idea to start moving again. So after about an hour of walking, we reached a train station.

"I'll get us some tickets for a train." He said.

"But we don't have any money." I said.

He scratched the back of his head. "Um, well I was able to talk to someone and they gave me some money."

I narrowed my eyes. I could tell he was telling the truth but not the whole truth. Nevertheless, I let him walk away to get the tickets with Grover.

I looked over at Bianca and Nico and we all came across a silent agreement: We were going to make them tell us the truth. One way or the other.

When they came back with the tickets, we all sat down at a table, waiting for the train to get here.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on already?" Bianca said, getting straight to the point.

Percy looked surprised. Grover looked nervous.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Are you going to tell us what's been going on? What happened at the skywalk? Why are we in such a hurry to get back to Manhattan?" I asked.

The two looked at us then each other.

"Should we tell them?" Percy asked Grover.

"I guess, it wouldn't hurt since they already witnessed what happened. Plus, they'll just ask more questions if we don't." Grover said.

I stopped myself from asking them what they were talking about and just waited, every second feeling like a year.

Percy faced us again. "Well, I don't really know where to start. Um, do you guys know anything about Greek Mythology?" He asked.

We all nodded. "Yeah, all those stories about the monsters and Greek gods and heroes right?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded. "Well, it's a little more then that but yeah, that's right."

We waited for him to continue.

"Well, have you ever heard about when the gods came to the mortal world and had affairs with mortals? They ended up having kids with them. They're called-" I cut him off.

"Demigods." I finished, remembering it from when I was reading about it at the library.

They all looked at me weirdly.

"What? I remember reading about them." I defended myself.

Percy smiled. "Yeah, they're called demigods."

"Why does it matter?" I asked, but as soon as I said it, all the pieces fell into place. The giant puzzle that had been looming over me had finally been solved. The biggest piece had fallen into place. Of course, this just opened up another box full of puzzles but the big picture was clear. I realized exactly why it mattered.

Percy leaned forward in his chair, looking at each and every one of us in the eye. Grover looked more nervous than I'd ever seen him.

"Because." He paused. My heart thumped. I knew what he was going to say.

"You all are demigods."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Lol! Sorry, but I just find cliff-hangers really funny. It makes everything so dramatic. Hehe.**

**I felt like the Percabeth scene was a bit...what's the word...aberrant. It seemed too unusual. Tell me what you think.**

**Anyway, I'd like to point out that I added another option to the poll on my profile. If you don't remember, it's a poll on what story I should do when this one is over. The top four will be posted in an author's note in the final chapter of this story and you guys can tell me which two you want me to do in a review.**

**Well, that's it. Review and get a sneak-peak. Will be a bit late like last time. Wouldn't want to ruin the biggest cliffy yet! (Key word: yet) ;-)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Unexpected answers

**A/N: I know I'm a little late on the update, but this was as soon as I could have posted it. Finals are coming up soon and I want to get all As so updates will probably be coming at this rate till late-June. Also, I'd like to apologize for not giving anyone any sneak peeks. I did not do that on purpose. I have many excuses (mostly family related issues) but all you need to know is that it will never happen again. Again, really sorry about that.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Unexpected Answers<p>

I can honestly say that the day just got weirder from that moment onwards.

We were all looking at Percy like he had three heads. He just smiled back nervously.

Of course, Nico just _had_ to break the silence. "Does this mean we all get swords like yours?"

I felt like hitting him across the head but Bianca got to it first.

"Ow!"

I cracked a smile but Bianca just ignored him and looked back at Percy. "Okay, Percy, stop kidding around. Tell us the truth."

Percy looked like he expected her to say that.

"I just did."

Bianca was about to say something else but then a voice on the loudspeaker interrupted her. It was announcing the boarding call for our train.

Percy got up and gave us all of our backpacks. "I'll explain everything on the train." He said.

My mind was still focused on what he had said before and wanted him to answer right then but I figured a couple of minutes couldn't be too bad.

"So where will this train take us to?" I asked.

He looked relieved that I had changed the subject. "Only up to Indianapolis. We'll have to find another way to Manhattan from there." I nodded. At least it cut our distance by more than half so I was happy about that.

Once we were all on the train, we got some window seats with a table to eat at. Bianca, Nico, and I were on one end while Percy and Grover were on the other.

"Alright, now spill. What's going on?" Bianca asked, getting impatient.

"Well, like I said, you all are demigods. Let me explain, you've heard of the Greek gods right? Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and the other Olympian gods and goddesses. Well, I don't know how else to put this, but they're not myths. They're real."

Surprisingly, Nico was the first to respond. "Hold on, you're saying there is such a thing as god out there? Or, well, _gods_ as you put it, but you're saying they're real? How do you know?"

"Because," Percy leaned back in his seat. "I'm one of their sons."

We all just stared at him. Partly from what he was saying. Partly because we were starting to think he was crazy. Grover on the other hand, had a small smile playing on his lips from seeing our facial expressions.

Percy continued talking. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that there really _are_ Greek gods out there. They live on Mount Olympus on top of the Empire State Building-" I cut him off.

"Wait, what? They live on top of the Empire State Building?"

"Yeah." He said, as if it were completely obvious.

"So anyway, they sometimes came down to our world and had affairs with mortals and ended up having kids with them. So, their kids were half god and half human; demigods."

This time I spoke up. "Hold on, you still haven't proved to us that what you're saying is real. I mean what proof do you have?" Even as I said it, I realized that I really did believe him, even without the proof. His words were as sincere as could be.

Percy glanced at Grover and grinned. "Think I should show them?"

"Go ahead but I'm not too sure about how they'll react." Grover said.

Bianca intervened. "Hold on, what are you talking about?"

Percy turned back to us, a crooked grin on his face. He looked around as if to make sure no one was watching and then turned to me and stared at the water bottle I was holding up to my chest.

Apparently, Nico took that the wrong way. "Percy! Quit looking at Annabeth's chest and answer the question already!"

Percy recoiled at what he said. He looked at Nico wide-eyed, then back at me, then back at Nico again, completely surprised at what he said.

"No! I-I was looking-"

I didn't need a mirror to tell that my face was completely red from embarrassment.

Lucky for me, Bianca stepped in. "Nico, he was looking at the water bottle! You are such an idiot."

Nico shrank back, not really wanting to get hit over the head by her again.

A few seconds of silence.

"...Why were you looking at the water bottle...?" Bianca asked Percy.

He'd managed to cool down the heat from his face for the most part and faced Bianca. "Oh, uh, let me just show you. Annabeth, could you open the water bottle up and put it on the table?"

I did as I was told, still red in the face mind you. I glanced at Grover and saw that he was smiling and shaking his head.

Percy focused on the water bottle again. Then the weirdest thing happened. The water shot out of the bottle and started floating in midair, as if gravity didn't apply to it.

"WHAT THE-" Nico started

"FUDGE." Bianca cut him off, making sure he didn't swear, although that didn't stop her from staring at the ball of water with her eyes wide in disbelief. I had to crack a smile at that even though I was in shock too. Bianca was his big sister after all.

The water then fell down into the water bottle again, not spilling a single drop, which shouldn't have been possible, but by now I figured the laws of physics were behind us.

"H-How...?" Bianca stuttered.

"Believe me now?" Percy asked, amusement shimmering in his eyes.

We could only nod.

I looked around, there were people sitting near us yet none of them noticed what had just happened.

Percy sighed. "Well, let's continue. As I was saying before, the Greek gods are real. They sometimes have kids with mortals like in the stories and they ended up being demigods." I decided to speak up at this point.

"You said that _we_ were demigods. Are you saying that we're...we're..." I couldn't finish the thought. Luckily, Percy understood what I was getting at.

"Half-god. Yeah. You're half-god, half-human."

A moment of silence. We were all taking it in.

"I-I don't believe it." Bianca said.

"What reason would I have to lie to you guys? I wouldn't make something like that up."

"Yeah, you don't have the creativity to think of something like _this_ up." Nico said, grinning like an idiot.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Grover spoke up, deciding to get back on the topic. "Think about it. Do you guys know _both_ of your parents?"

For a second, I didn't know what he was talking about, but then I realized what he was saying. Mom was a...a...

I looked at Bianca and Nico and their reaction was similar to mine, although their eyes seemed colder. Their dad had always been a touchy subject.

I spoke up for them. "You saying my mom and their dad are...gods?"

The two only nodded.

"But-"

Grover cut me off. "It's the truth Annabeth. You'll accept it sooner or later. Maybe we'll get lucky and meet one on our way back." Grover said, although he sounded like he'd rather not that happen.

I glanced at Percy, remembering what he had said on his first day. It felt like ages ago. He had told me it would be easier for me to comprehend what was going on because of the incident in sixth grade but that wasn't working out too well.

Bianca continued her interrogation. "But what about that...that monster that attacked us at the Grand Canon? Is that related to..." She trailed off.

Percy nodded. "That was a monster from Greek Mythology. They like to kill demigods. It's kind of their thing. And that's not the only one out there. There are a lot of monster out there-"

"Oh, joy." Nico said, sarcasticly.

"-and they'll do anything to get to you." Percy finished.

"But that one is gone right? We-we won't see it again will we?" I asked, trying not to sound too scared. In truth, that was one of the scariest things I'd ever experienced. Right up there with that Minotaur attack four years ago.

Percy looked at me sympathetically. I usually hate it when people give me pity but Percy didn't look like he felt bad for me. He looked like he'd been through the same thing that I was going through and could relate.

"Actually, monsters can't die. They can be killed, but they don't die. When they're killed, they get sent to this bottomless pit called Tartarus in the Underworld, but they manage to get out sooner or later. I don't know if it'll be back. But I can say he's going to be stuck there for a good decade or so." Percy said, trying to sound like it wasn't something that was scary to think about. Unfortunately, that only made it worse.

I let out a sigh. In relief or in dread, I didn't even know.

"So how did you do that water trick?" Nico asked, apparently still not over that.

Percy smiled. "Think about it. I said I was a demigod too. You know my mom is mortal so it has to be my dad. And you just saw me control water. What Greek god has power over water?"

I suddenly realized who his dad was. "Poseidon. God of Seas" I blurted out.

Percy grinned at me. "Yep, his one and only son." He said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Oh, I thought you were going to say Zeus or something. I'm very disappointed." Nico said, shaking his head.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Hey, it's not like I have any control over who my dad is. Besides, that is so overused. It's like everyone expects you to be a son of Zeus. It's so annoying." Percy said, rolling his eyes.

"_Do_ you know a son of Zeus?" Bianca asked

"Daughter actually, but yeah, I do. Her name is Thalia. We'll probably see her on our way back to camp." Percy said, nonchalantly, although I could tell he was excited to see her again. I would have been jealous but when he mentioned her name, I could tell they were only good friends, nothing more.

"Camp?" Bianca asked.

"Oh, right. I haven't told you about that yet. We'll get back to that later. No need to cram everything into your head in one day." Percy said.

"Alright but one more thing." Nico said, looking excited.

"Shoot."

"Who's _our _godly parents?" Nico said. I realized I hadn't thought about that yet. I guess there were just too many things to think about. Heh, never thought I'd say that.

"Well, Bianca and you obviously have the same godly parent. From what Grover and I can tell, with your olive skin, almost black eyes, and your powerful aura, your godly parent is Hades, god of the dead." Percy finished. Wow, I'd never expected that. Sure, I always new that Nico was emo and Bianca was known for being a little dark, but that was a new extreme.

"Cool!" Nico said. "Does that mean I can kill anyone I want?" Nico finished, looking more excited than ever.

Percy eyed him wearily and Grover gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, no. I'll tell you about your powers later. Just...no killing." Percy said. Nico still looked excited.

Bianca on the other hand was still taking it in. "Dad's a god...and he's...alive...?" She finished, directing the question towards Percy.

Percy nodded, smiling at Bianca's hopeful eyes. Bianca stared off dreamily, probably thinking about the fact that she still had a chance to meet her dad.

I, on the other hand, was waiting patiently for Percy to tell me who my mom was. I didn't know if I wanted to know. I've been thinking about her since I was little and knowing that she was alive was scary enough. But I still wanted to know.

"Who's my mom?" I asked.

Percy turned his attention to me. "You don't know yet? Come on Annabeth. You love books. You love to learn. You hate it when your wrong. And you like to stand up for yourself." Percy said.

Percy looked me right in the eyes. "Annabeth, your mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Again, I'd like to apologize for the late update. Although I can't promise I'll be faster till late-June.****

**I loved writing that little Percabeth scene with the water bottle. Hehe. I don't know about you guys, but I was laughing while I was writing it. I know there wasn't much else Percabeth but this was supposed to be centered on them finding out about everything. Well, not everything. Camp and other stuff will be explained later. Anyway, I'll put more Percabeth next time.**

**I hope you all will vote for my next story on the poll on my profile. I'm looking forward to writing more stories and I'd be glad if you went over there to tell me which one you like.**

**Also, I know some of you already know this, but Rick Riordan released the first chapter of the Son of Neptune, the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series, to the public about a week ago. I have to say, it is incredible and it got me all the more excited for the book to come out in October.**

**Here's the link for the first chapter. Obviously you need to take out the space between each letter before you put it on the address bar. I just did that because fanfiction won't let me post it normally. When you're there, look at the bottom right and you'll see the words 'Son of Neptune cover and sneak peek' Click on that (duh):**

h t t p : / / d i s n e y . g o . c o m / d i s n e y b o o k s / h e r o e s - o f - o l y m p u s /

**Here's another link to an excerpt from a later chapter from the book. Rick had only shown this to a group of fans that he met in NYC. Lucky for us though, he let reporters record the reading and someone wrote it down and put it on this here website. Trust me, it reveals a lot of info. But not too much info so that's good. And yes, it is real. Not a fanfiction. I've seen official websites make references to this so it's definitely real. Anyway, here's the link. Take out the space between each letter first!:**

h t t p : / / w w w . m o r t a l n e t . c o m / f o r u m / v i e w t o p i c . p h p ? f = 9 & t = 2 2 8

**Lastly, review and get a sneak peek. I will get it to you all on time this time! Although some of you have disabled PMing so if you are one of those people then please enable it so I can send it to you. Thanks for reading!  
><strong>


	10. Easy going

**A/N: I'm sorry for the late update but I had finals. But now finals are over and it's summer vacation so I'll update much faster. Probably twice a week as I used to do.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Easy going<p>

The rest of the trip was mostly normal. Percy tried to teach us more about Greek Mythology and Grover and I would sometimes intervene and correct him. He'd just look at me with a look of embarrassment and crooked smile on his face. It would make my heart flutter.

It was night outside and by my guess, we were somewhere in Northern Texas. Could have fooled me though. When I pictured Texas, I thought of barren lands, almost like a desert, except with a few towns here and there. What I saw was completely different. The cities were huge, with bright lights, crowded streets, and buildings like any other you'd find in most cities.

I looked back at the others. Percy was now explaining to Nico and Bianca about their father, Hades. Nico looked excited and would ask all these silly questions about him. Bianca was listening too. She would occasionally look over at Nico and see the excitement plastered on his face and would smile at his enthusiasm. Unlike Nico, she took in all the things that Percy said calmly, but on the inside, I knew she was exploding with the same excitement as Nico.

Grover was talking to them too. Sometimes adding in his own two cents about Hades. I took advantage of the alone time to let my mind wonder.

I thought about my mom. She was alive. She was actually alive, and I still had the chance to meet her.

I finally understood my craziness over learning and books. The long hours I spent just to answer those little questions that I didn't know the answer to finally made sense.

I stared back out the window, the cities passing by in a blur. I had a strange feeling that I was going to meet my mom sometime soon. What I didn't know was whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Some time later, Percy came over, probably noticing me being all quiet, and sat down across from me, his hands clamped together on the table. His face was emotionless.

"You're awfully quite."

He then broke out into a grin. "Usually you're ready to spurt out random facts. I like the change."

"Oh, ha ha." I rolled my eyes but my mouth betrayed a smile.

"I'm just thinking about everything. You know, taking it all in." I said.

Percy nodded. "Understandable. It's not every day you learn that you're half god and that every monster out there wants to kill you. It makes it even harder to believe when a very handsome teenage guy tells you it."

"I guess, except for that last part." I said, even though it was a lie. He seemed unfazed though.

A comfortable silence later: "So what's this thing about camp you mentioned earlier?" I asked.

Percy sat up. "Oh, that. It's a place on Long Island Sound. A place for demigods. It's the only save place for us. Well, besides the Roman camp, but that's a different situation. Our camp has a magical border that protects us from monsters. It's where we demigods go to train and learn about our history."

I nodded. All this talk about a safe place and magic is making me feel crazy. Next thing you know he's going to say there are fairies too and I'll start thinking that we're talking about Pixie Hollow.

I sank back in my seat, closed my eyes, and rubbed my temples, trying to let it all sink in. When I opened my eyes, I found a pair of sea-green eyes staring back intently.

"What?" I asked

"Huh?"

"You were looking at me funny."

He blinked twice, then looked away, his facing heating up a little. "Oh, uh sorry."

I raised a brow but let it go. I decided to keep going with the conversation. "So, this camp-"

"Camp Half-Blood" Percy said matter-of-factly.

"-Right, so, there's a lot of demigods there? We're not the only ones?" I asked.

Percy shook his head. "No, of course not. There are a lot more. Almost a hundred. Maybe more."

I hesitated. "And we just go? We don't have to do anything?"

Percy's brows furrowed in confusion. I couldn't help but think that it made him look cute. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, there isn't a test or anything? Something to 'prove that you're worthy'?" I asked.

Percy looked at me strangely. "No, you're thinking about Roman Mythology. Where people had to be brave and prove it to everyone. The Greeks are a little more friendly. Besides, you'd probably get in even if there _were_ a test."

"I would?"

Percy thought about it. "Well, yeah. You've taken on a manticore with your bare hands. That's a really bold thing to do. Only someone with a lot of courage could do that."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." I said.

"I should hope so. I've been training since I was a kid. I should hope I'm better than you...princess.

A moment of silence.

I started laughing. Percy just looked down, obviously regretting his choice of words.

"Princess? Really? Is that supposed to be an insult?" I asked, trying to contain my laughter.

"Hey, give me a break. It's the only thing I could think of; I blanked." He explained.

"Yeah, you tend to do that a lot." I teased.

"Oh shut up."

"...Why did you call me that anyway? Do you think I'm beautiful enough to be a princess?" I asked. Honestly, I couldn't care less about my 'beauty', even though my friends always did say I was pretty. I just wanted to know what he would say.

Percy's eyes were wide and he was getting really red. "What? No! I don't think you're beautiful!"

A second passed before he realized what he said.

"No, wait. That's not what I meant. I-I-you _are _beautiful. I mean-" I had gotten enough info out of him by this time so I cut him off by starting to laugh again.

"Very smooth Kelp Head, very smooth." I said."

"Kelp Head? Oh, I get it, because I'm a Son of Poseidon and you think I'm slow. That's really funny." Percy said sarcastically.

I just shook my head at him. I looked to my side and noticed Bianca coming over so I scooted in to make room for her. She sat next to me, still radiating happiness.

"You seem really happy, Bianca." Percy said, voicing my thoughts.

"Well, yeah. It's not every day I find out my dad is still alive. Even if he is a god." She said, shrugging.

"So, what are you guys flirting about?" She said casually.

"What? We're not flirting." I ended with a nervous laugh, my face turning a little red. Now that I think about it, it did seem like we were flirting.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"We were talking about camp. You know, the place I said we were going to." Percy said, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Spare me the details. I've had enough info for one day. Although Nico looks like he's up for it. Why don't you go talk to him about it? I'm sure he'll annoy me about it sooner or later so no need to tell me." Bianca said, rolling her eyes.

Percy agreed and went over to where Grover was talking to Nico.

Bianca and I sat in a we-don't-know-what-to-talk-about-but-we're-best-friends-so-it's-not-really-awkward silence.

After a while, Bianca sighed. "Why so red in the face Annabeth?" She asked, not looking at me.

I realized that I was still flustered and tried to cover it up. "What do you mean?" I tried to cover it up.

"You like him." Bianca said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Who?" I asked, playing dumb.

She darted her eyes toward where Percy was sitting with Grover and Nico.

"Nico? No, I don't like him. He's a good friend but he's too dark for my taste." I said.

"No! Not my brother!"

"Grover then? He's part goat!" I said, trying to avoid her question.

"I'm talking about Percy and you know it." Bianca said.

"Yes, I like him." I said, in a small voice.

"Like like him?" She asked.

"Like like?"

"Yeah, you like like him like he like likes you."

"So your saying I like him like you like him and he likes you and he likes me so I don't like like him like you think he like likes me?" I said.

"Annabeth!" Bianca said, getting exasperated.

"What?" I asked innocently.

She sighed but then grinned at me. "You must really like him to avoid my question for this long." She said.

"I don't like him that way." I said.

"Yes you do." She insisted

"No, I don't." I countered

"No?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"I knew it!" She said.

"No! Not yes I like him. Yes that I agree with you that I don't like him!" I said. Now _I_ didn't even know what I was saying, and that's saying something, me being a daughter of Athena and all.

Bianca just shook her head, apparently getting what I said. "You keep telling yourself that, Annabeth. It's kind of obvious you know."

"Fine, I _like like_ him. Happy?" I grumbled.

Bianca smiled. "Very." And with that, she left to go over to the others.

* * *

><p>At around 10 at night, we all decided to go to sleep. We didn't have to worry about sleeping on the seats because there were these beds that could be pulled out of the wall above are seats.<p>

I was sitting on the bed when I looked to my left and saw Percy on the bed across from mine.

"I'm so glad I can sleep on a bed today. Even if it is really small." He said.

"Yeah, I'd rather not go through that whole experience on the couch in the hotel lobby again." I said. He blushed.

"Well, good night Wise Girl." He said, smirking at his 'witty' new nickname for me.

"Night, Seaweed Brain." I said, giving him a mock smile. He frowned and gave me the evil eye but eventually settled for going to bed.

The smile still played on my lips as I got under the covers of my bed.

I looked next to me and saw Bianca already in bed.

"You like him." She said in a small sing-song voice, her eyes still closed.

"Shut up." I muttered.

And with that, I went into a blissful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, so not as long as the previous chapters but don't worry, they're not getting any shorter. I'll update faster too, seeing as it's summer vacation. Expect an update by Wednesday. Maybe Tuesday.**

**So this chapter wasn't really eventful. It's just showing the growing relationship between Percy and Annabeth and shows a little more of Percy's thoughts. Personally, I liked this chapter but I'm not sure about you guys. Tell me if it was bad.**

**Anyway, just a reminder, vote for my next story on my profile! Some of them are tied for first and second so I need to know which ones I'm going to do next.**

**As always, review and get a sneak peek. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
